New Delhi: The United States is aware of reports of Pulitzer-winning Kashmiri journalist Sanna Irshad Mattoo allegedly being prevented from travelling to the country, a State Department official said, according to the news agency PTI. The Committee to Protect Journalists, which promotes press freedom worldwide, has condemned the move as well.
Mattoo had alleged on October 18 that she was stopped from flying out of the country at the IGI Airport in New Delhi while on her way to receive the Pulitzer prize. This is the second time that Mattoo has been stopped from flying out of India.
In July, Mattoo had tweeted that that she was stopped while going to Paris for a book launch and photography exhibition as one of 10 winners of the Serendipity Arles grant 2020.
Mattoo had told The Wire then that immigration officials gave no particular reason for stopping her. “All that they shared was that they have information from SSP CID or some such officer of Kashmir to stop me,” Mattoo had said, adding that she did not know then if there were FIRs pending against her or any other action being taken.
‘Press freedom’
“We are aware of the reports of Ms Mattoo being prevented from travelling to the US and are tracking these developments closely,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily news conference.
“We are committed to supporting press freedom. And as the secretary has noted, a shared commitment to democratic values, including…
