NEW DELHI: A Pulitzer Prize-winning Kashmiri photojournalist said on Saturday that she was stopped by Indian immigration authorities from flying to Paris without giving any reason.
In a tweet, Sanna Irshad Mattoo said she was scheduled to travel from New Delhi to Paris for a book launch and photography exhibition as one of 10 winners of the Serendipity Arles Grant 2020.
“Despite procuring a French visa, I was stopped at the immigration desk at Delhi airport,” she said.
She said she was not given any reason but was told by immigration officials that she would not be able to travel internationally.
There was no immediate comment by Indian authorities.
Mattoo was among the 2022 Pulitzer Prize winners in the Feature Photography category for the coverage of the COVID-19 crisis in India as part of a Reuters team.
She has been working as a freelance photojournalist since 2018 depicting life in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where insurgents have been fighting for Kashmir’s independence or its merger with neighboring Pakistan.
Journalists have long braved threats in the restive region as the government seeks to control the press more effectively to censure independent reporting. Their situation has grown worse since India revoked the region’s semi-autonomy in 2019.
India stops Kashmiri photojournalist from flying to Paris
https://arab.news/vvxbz
India stops Kashmiri photojournalist from flying to Paris
- "Despite procuring a French visa, I was stopped at the immigration desk at Delhi airport,” Sanna Irshad Mattoo said
- She was among the 2022 Pulitzer Prize winners in the Feature Photography category
Saudi Media Forum expects large rollout of speakers, panels ahead of 5th edition
- More than 300 participants expected to discuss issues, challenges facing sector
- Leading platform for media exchange will explore ways to keep pace with a rapidly changing world
RIYADH: The fifth edition of the Saudi Media Forum due to kick off in early February is expected to attract more than 300 participants across hundreds of panels.
The forum aims to explore the future of media in a rapidly transforming world, reflecting the dynamic cultural and developmental landscape of the Saudi Arabia.
High-level editors, reporters, and speakers include Karen Elliott House, former executive editor of The Wall Street Journal; Julie Pace, executive editor and senior vice president of the Associated Press; and Ben Smith, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the global news platform Semafor.
The forum is a leading Saudi platform for media exchange and cooperation, fostering capacity building, stimulating innovation, and building bridges of communication locally and globally.
The fifth edition reaffirms the forum’s status as a pivotal event in the year of media transformation, bringing together the most prominent media figures to discuss the issues and challenges facing the sector, and ways to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.
The forum includes the Future of Media Exhibition, which will bring together government entities and private companies, both local and international, under one roof. Exhibitor pavilions will showcase the latest products and contributions in media, radio, and television. These pavilions, alongside the dedicated presentation platform, provide an opportunity for participants to share their innovations and specialized services with visitors.
The exhibition’s main stage will offer comprehensive insights into the media sector through panel discussions, dialogues, and workshops featuring local and international speakers, while also providing opportunities for signing cooperation agreements and partnerships.
