WAN-IFRA is the World The Right Honourable Narendra Modi

Association of
Newspapers and News
Publishers Prime Minister of India
Its mission is to protect the rights
of journalists across the world to New Delhi, India
operate free media, and provide its
members with professional
services to help their business
prosper in a digital world and
perform their crucial role in open
societies.

With formal representative status

at the United Nations, UNESCO 15 June 2018
and the Council of Europe, it
derives its authority from its global
network of leading news publishing
companies and technology
entrepreneurs, and its legitimacy
from its 80 national association
members representing 18,000
publications in 120 countries.
Dear Prime Minister,
www.wan-ifra.org

WAN-IFRA
72 rue d’Hauteville
75010 Paris, France
We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and News
Rotfeder-Ring 11
60327 Frankfurt a.M., Germany Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000
Phone +46 69 24 0063 0
Fax +49 69 24 0063 300 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120
Chief Executive Officer countries, to express our grave concern at the murder of journalist and editor,
Vincent PEYREGNE
vincent.peyregne@wan-ifra.org Shujaat Bukhari.
Direct +33 1 47 42 85 01
Direct +49 61 51 733 790

Presidency
According to reports, on 14 June Mr Bukhari, editor of the daily Rising

President
Kashmir and one of the region’s best-known journalists, was shot several times
Michael GOLDEN
The New York Times Company by unidentified gunmen as he got into his car outside his office in Srinagar, in
NYC, USA
the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Two police bodyguards who were escorting
Vice President
Lisa MacLeod him were also shot and killed. Mr Bukhari, who provided an unusually moderate
Tiso Blackstar Group
South Africa voice on the subject of Kashmir, had been receiving police protection since
Treasurer 2000, when he was the target of an earlier attack.
Paul VERWILT
Mediahuis
Antwerpen, Belgium The motive for Mr Bukhari’s murder is not yet known but it came during a
President World Editors Forum
David CALLAWAY
ceasefire for Ramadan that he had encouraged in his writing.
The Street
NYC, USA
At least six journalists have been murdered with complete impunity in direct
retaliation for their work in Jammu and Kashmir since 1992. We respectfully
remind you that it is the responsibility of the state to provide conditions in which

1
journalists are able to carry out their work free from violence.

We ask that you take all necessary steps to ensure that local and national
authorities carry out a quick and thorough investigation and bring the
perpetrators - and masterminds - to justice. We urge you to do everything
possible to end the hostile media environment in Jammu and Kashmir so that
journalists are able to work without fear of violence.

We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Golden
President
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers

David Callaway
President
World Editors Forum

WAN-IFRA is the global organization for the world’s newspapers and news publishers, with formal
representative status at the United Nations, UNESCO and the Council of Europe. The
organization groups 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more
than 120 countries.