Global Outcry Mounts Following Arbitrary Detention and Assault of Journalists in India
International human rights bodies and press freedom organisations have expressed deep concern and strongly condemned the recent crackdown on journalists in New Delhi and Mumbai.
Over the weekend of 10 and 11 October 2026, numerous media personnel were subjected to physical assault and arbitrary detention while attempting to cover youth-led protests demanding the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner over electoral roll revisions. These police actions occurred in direct contravention of interim Supreme Court directions issued on 11 October, which explicitly stipulated that lawyers, journalists, and other professionals must not be hindered in the discharge of their professional duties.
@thewire_in @IRFANfromSlums @DelhiPolice They broke my phone when I was covering Irfan’s detention https://t.co/0klBVsHuXY
— Eishben (@Eishben) September 25, 2026
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has strongly urged authorities to cease targeting media personnel and to honour governmental assurances given to the apex court. According to CPJ’s documentation, at least 37 journalists including reporters from prominent mainstream outlets such as The Indian Express and Hindustan Times were detained, with several sustaining injuries from rough handling and police force. Emphasising India’s global standing, CPJ noted that as the world’s largest democracy, the nation bears a distinct responsibility to uphold press freedom and safeguard the constitutional right of journalists to report without interference.
“What is our fault? We are only reporting,” said several journalists today whom the Delhi police manhandled during the protest held for demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Many journalists held up their Press and ID cards at Jantar Mantar but were either forced away or forced into a bus. From independent journalists like Harsh Yadav to Maktoob media’s Fida Fathima and Jibraan Uddin, police intimidated and attempted to detain several journalists trying to cover the protest.
Read the full report on The Quint: https://t.co/VJ31k6Jfx0
— The Quint (@TheQuint) October 2, 2026
Similarly, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), headquartered in Paris,
denounced the systemic targeting of reporters, recording that at least 16 journalists were detained on 10 October alone, with roughly a dozen more apprehended the following day amidst wider protests extending to cities like Ahmedabad and Pune. In an official statement, RSF asserted that covering events of public interest is a fundamental professional duty rather than a criminal offence, branding the heavy-handed police tactics as entirely unacceptable.
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Indian journalist Pragya Mishra, founder of Ulta Chasma, is physically detained and carried into a detention vehicle by police officers during press coverage in New Delhi.
Adding to the international pressure, the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) voiced serious alarm over reports of mass detentions targeting journalists, lawyers, and civil society members. UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all individuals arbitrarily detained.
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Meghnad on phone grab
Domestically, advocacy bodies such as the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) and the Free Speech Collective have rallied in solidarity, asserting that a free press cannot function under threat, and have formally moved the Supreme Court to seek accountability and strict compliance with judicial safeguards.
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Arresting and intimidating journalists for doing their duty is a direct assault on democracy and the public’s right to know. A government that fears questions and suppresses the press has much to hide. Journalism is not a crime, and truth cannot be silenced through arbitrary detention. Those responsible must be held accountable, and every journalist must be free to report without fear or intimidation. When the press is silenced, democracy itself is under attack.