Arunachal journalists condemn arrest of Assam scribe in Guwahati

Itanagar, Mar 26 (PTI) The Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) on Wednesday condemned the arrest of senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder by Assam Police in Guwahati.
    Mozumder, the chief reporter of The Cross Current, was performing his journalistic duties when he was taken into custody after attempting to question Dambaru Saikia, the managing director of the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank, about allegations of a recruitment scam.
    "The incident, which unfolded during a public protest by the Jatiya Yuva Sakti, the youth wing of the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), is deeply disturbing and raises serious concerns about the state of press freedom and the right of journalists to hold those in positions of power accountable. That a journalist was detained merely for seeking answers from a public official in connection with a matter of public interest is unacceptable in a democratic society," the APUWJ said in a statement here.
    "Such actions not only intimidate the press but also erode public trust in the institutions meant to uphold transparency and accountability. We view this as an attempt to muzzle independent journalism and dissuade journalists from carrying out their fundamental duty of informing the public," APUWJ president Amar Sangno said.
    The APUWJ stands in solidarity with Mozumder and urges authorities to respect the constitutional protections guaranteed to journalists and to refrain from using coercive tactics to suppress the freedom of the press.
    "We further appeal to journalist bodies across the Northeast and the country to unite against such transgressions and continue to advocate for a media environment free from fear and intimidation," the statement added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)