World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) president Tomas Brunegard has written to the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressing concern about the restrictions imposed on journalists covering court proceedings in Kerala.
In his letters, Mr. Brunegard said the WAN-IFRA is also deeply concerned about reports of acts of violence against journalists on court premises. “In any democratic country, especially India, an independent media plays a pivotal role in disseminating information to the public concerning the fair and impartial functioning of an independent judiciary. We are disturbed to learn that journalists have been denied entry to courtrooms to cover proceedings, instead forcing them to rely on information provided to them by the Public Relations Officer of the Kerala High Court. WAN-IFRA understands that such a situation has been prevailing in the State of Kerala for more than two months. Appealing to the public interest, we call upon you to intervene in the matter and direct the court officials to lift the restrictions imposed on the media so that journalists may cover proceedings in a fair manner,” he said in his letter to the Chief Justice.
Violence against scribes
Mr. Brunegard pointed out that in any democratic society, the freedom of the media and the independence of the judiciary are inextricably linked and of equal importance and urged the Chief Justice to ensure to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into allegations of violence against journalists and guarantee that those found responsible will be held to account.
“Left unpunished, crimes against journalists can lead to a state of impunity that threatens the very fabric of democratic society. We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience,” he said.
In his letter to the Chief Minister, he noted that Mr. Vijayan had already intervened in the matter to assure the parties concerned that no one would be allowed to restrict journalists from doing their duty. “Regrettably, and despite your intervention, the situation remains the same... We respectfully ask that Your Excellency does what is in your power to do to ensure journalists may continue their work unhindered,” the WAN-IFRA chief said.
