This is a statement by Amnesty International demanding that the Indian government immediately halt its intensifying suppression of dissent, following a series of raids by counter-terrorism forces on the homes and premises of civil society groups, human rights defenders and journalists in Jammu and Kashmir region on Wednesday 28 October. According to a statement released by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), the raids were conducted based on credible information’ that the organizations have been using funding from India and abroad ‘for secessionist and terrorist activities in J&K’, in contravention of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Foreign Contribution (Regulation)Act (FCRA), India’s primary anti-terror and foreign funding laws.

Topics: suppression of dissent, using anti-terror laws to suppress dissent, attacks on civil society and human rights defenders
Terms: October 2020 raids on Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), National Investigation Agency (NIA) raids, October 2020 raids on Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), intimidation of human rights defenders, harrassment of civil society groups, violation of right to free expression, violation of right to free assembly, reprisals

This report covers the suppression of journalism and repression of journalists in Kashmir with a focus on the Media Policy-2020.

Topics: suppression of journalism, lack of press freedom, Media Policy

Terms: fake news, harassment, Intimidation, surveillance, Media Policy, anti-terror laws, censor, background checks, anti-national, website whitelist, 2G, Public Safety Act (PSA), Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Masrat Zahra, Peerzada Ashiq, Gowhar Geelani, Fahad Shah, Kashmir Times, withholding advertisements

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This article is by Nyayashastram (a student-run organization under the Chairmanship of Mr Ratan K Singh, Advocate & Arbitrator, Supreme Court of India, which aims to foster legal research, writing and presentation). The article examines the application of international humanitarian law (the law of armed conflict) to the situation in Indian-Administered Jammu and Kashmir.

Topics: relationship between Article 3 common to all Geneva Conventions and the 2nd Additional Protocols, reasons why India is reluctant to recognize Additional Protocol II, Geneva Conventions Act of India and the Indian constitutions non-derogable rights, need for intervention into Indian Humanitarian Law, problems identified with existing laws
Terms: international humanitarian law, internal armed conflict in IAJK, Geneva Conventions, common Article 3, Additional Protocols I and II, Geneva Conventions Act, human rights violations, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)

This report summarizes state repression and the human rights crisis in Indian-Administered Jammu and Kashmir during the period August 5, 2019 through August 5, 2020.

Topics: detention of political opposition, quelling political opposition, verbal orders of detention, curbing freedom of expression and association, severe clampdown on freedom of press, the blackout, Media Facilitation Centre, intimidation and physical attack on journalists, use of repressive laws against journalists, biased access to institutions, new Media Policy, protracted restrictions to internet access, access to healthcare, access to education, access to justice, prisons as COVID-19 hotspots, closure of state human rights commission and other bodies, list of political leaders detained in J&K since August 2019, list of journalists arrested and intimidated since August 2019, list of internet shutdowns since January 14 2020

Terms: pattern of administrative detention, absence of public data, Public Safety Act (PSA), Section 107 Code of Criminal Procedure, Section 151 Code of Criminal Procedure, arbitrary detention, verbal orders of detention, minors under administrative detention, bonds for detention release conditioned on silence, threatening of journalists, intimidation of journalists, attacks on journalists, Media Policy, interrogation of Fayaz Ahmad Kaloo, attack on Greater Kashmir, attack on Kashmir Reader, detention of Irfan Amin Malik, interrogation of Fahad Shah, assault on Azaan Javaid, UAPA, PSA detention of Qazi Shibli, UAPA charge of Masrat Zahra, timeline of communications restrictions, habeas corpus petitions

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This report summarizes the Indian Government's post-August 2019 tactics to suppress journalism and repress journalists.

‍Topics: suppression of journalism, lack of press freedom

Terms: fake news, harassment, Intimidation, open investigation, surveillance, Media Policy, anti-terror laws, censor, background checks, anti-national, Peerzada Ashiq, Raqib Hameed Naik, Masrat Zahra, Gowhar Geelani, Raashid Maqbool, Harron Rashid Shah, Moazum Mohammad, Vrinda Grover, Qurutalain Rehbar