As the world marked World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2026, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993, the plight of journalists in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir remained largely overlooked. The territory remains one of the most dangerous and restricted places in the world for media professionals, where intimidation, surveillance, and the consistent threat of reprisals have become part of everyday journalistic work. Journalists in IIOJK, despite threats, continue to perform their duties. Reports leading up to May 3, 2026, indicate that press freedom in the territory has continued to decline, with independent journalism under severe pressure from the BJP-led governor rule. Since the revocation of the state’s special status in 2019, the state of journalism and working conditions of journalists in IIOJK has deteriorated significantly.

According to the recent reports Journalists face summons, interrogation, and coercion, and are often asked to sign undertakings pledging not to publish content critical of the BJP government, ongoing atrocities, or political injustices following the illegal and military abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. The BJP-led Indian government is using coercive measures to suppress the media in the disputed territory. Journalists have reportedly been questioned about their sources. Many journalists have also had their equipment confiscated by the authorities. Some are facing charges for social media posts or news reports considered “anti-national.” Amnesty International also mentioned that authorities in IIOJK continue to target artists, academics and journalists through expanded censorship, weaponization of criminal laws and digital restrictions. After the Pahalgam attack, Indian authorities used sedition laws and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 (UAPA) to arrest or file First Information Reports (FIRs) against journalists, academics and students who demanded accountability for the security lapse.

The Paris-based organization, Reporters Without Borders RSF, has released the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, in which India ranked 157 out of 180 countries, down six places from the previous year. Experts attribute this decline to increasing cases against journalists, threats, online harassment, and arrests. The laws frequently highlighted in this context are the provisions of the Public Safety Act, 1978 (PSA), which allows detention without charge for up to two years, and UAPA, which allows up to 180 days’ detention to file a charge sheet after an arrest, double the standard time. It is notoriously difficult to secure bail under UAPA; if the court finds the allegations prima facie true, bail is denied. According to an article published by BBC in 2024, since the abolition of the state’s special status in 2019, at least five journalists have been convicted under the UAPA; three others have been detained under the stringent PSA. Journalists like Asif Sultan, Irfan Mehraj, Fahad Shah, Abdul Aala Fazili, and Sajjad Gul were arrested under these draconian laws.

Where journalists face threats, their families and property are often at risk as well. On 27 November 2025, the Jammu Development Authority demolished the family home of journalist Arfaz Daing shortly after he exposed a drug trafficking network involving Indian police officer. Journalist Asif Sultan, arrested in February 2022, spent nearly 2,000 days in detention. Upon his release, he was able to spend barely five hours with his family before being summoned to a local police station and re-arrested. Sajad Gul followed a similar pattern: after his January 2022 arrest on charges of criminal conspiracy and release on bail nine days later, he was detained again under the PSA Fahad Shah, arrested on 4 February 2022 under the UAPA, was also repeatedly re-arrested despite securing bail. Although the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh ordered his release on 23 November 2023, finding insufficient evidence under the UAPA, he continues to face charges.

Seven years after the constitutional changes of August 2019, journalists and media workers in IIOJK continue to work under increasingly restrictive conditions. They face harassment, unemployment, intimidation, and physical violence. Reports indicate that journalists have also been pressured to reveal confidential sources, raising serious concerns about press independence. On 8 February 2020, journalists Naseer Ganai and Haroon Nabi were summoned to the police counter-insurgency centre (Cargo) and questioned about their reporting on the banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), including demands to disclose the email source of a spokesperson’s statement. Earlier, on 17 December 2019, Azaan Javaid and Anees Zargar were beaten by police while covering a protest in Srinagar. The Kashmir Press Club documented around ten similar incidents between 5 August 2020 and early March 2021.

Although World Press Freedom Day has passed, international attention has remained limited. The continued use of laws such as the PSA and UAPA, combined with India’s ranking of 157th out of 180 countries in the latest RSF Press Freedom Index, underscores persistent concerns over press freedom in IIOJK. Cases involving Asif Sultan, Irfan Mehraj, Fahad Shah, Abdul Aala Fazili, and Sajjad Gul illustrate a broader pattern of restrictions on independent journalism and freedom of expression.

The author is a student of International Relations at the International Islamic University Islamabad and currently working as a research associate at Kashmir Institute of International Relations.