By Christine Khamis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
NEW DELHI, India –
A journalist in eastern India has been arrested for posting a social media post that criticized police and called for legal protections for reporters.
The journalist, Prabhat Singh, has been accused of circulating obscene material. Mr. Singh appeared in court this past week, where he claimed that he had been beaten while in police detainment. His lawyer has also stated that he was denied food while in custody. Mr. Singh requested bail, but the court denied his request.
Violence stemming from a Maoist insurgency has been ongoing for several years in impoverished tribal settlement regions. Insurgency rebels are fighting for equality when it comes to wealth from natural resources and the right to jobs.
Security officials have cracked down on insurgency rebels, often committing human rights abuses. Mr. Singh worked in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh state, a rebel center. The area is known for the rebels’ hit-and-run attacks on government soldiers, whose efforts have not lessened violence in the area much.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, based in the United States, has called for Chhattisgarh state authorities to release Mr. Singh, citing concerns about the arrests of journalists and their defenders. Amnesty International has also called for Mr. Singh’s release.
India’s National Human Rights Comission, a quasi-judicial body, has requested that authorities in the region submit a report on the details of Mr. Singh’s arrest and alleged rights violations.
Journalists face challenges in Chhattisgarh state because authorities often consider criticism of security forces as support for the rebel insurgency. Authorities have gone so far as to accuse some journalists of siding with the rebels. Last year, two journalists were arrested in the tribal region for allegedly supporting the insurgency. Their lawyer states that both are innocent and is still fighting the charges against them, which were filed under anti-terror laws.
Another journalist, Malini Subramaniam, was threatened and forced to leave the area after criticizing police. During her time as a journalist in the Bastar region, Ms. Subramaniam covered human rights violations and allegations of sexual violence by security forces.
For more information, please see:
The Express Tribune – Indian Journalist Arrested Over Social Media Post – 24 March 2016
ABC News – Indian Reporter Arrested After Posting Criticism of Police – 23 March 2016
Associated Press – Indian Reporter Arrested After Posting Criticism of Police – 23 March 2016
The New York Times – Journalist Jailed in Eastern India Over Social Media Post – 23 March 2016
