The spokesperson of the US State Department has said that the Indian government is carefully reviewing the matter of stopping Kashmiri journalist Sana Irshad Mattoo from coming to the US.
During the press briefing of the State Department, Principal Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel said in response to a question about Sana Irshad that the United States is committed to supporting free press.
.jpg)
During the press briefing, the spokesperson of the Department of State was asked if the US is aware of the issue that it has stopped the Kashmiri journalist from coming despite having a visa, to which he said that he said that he is aware of the issue and It is being carefully reviewed.
He further said that the US Secretary of State Antony Blanken has also expressed his determination that democratic values and freedom of press are the basis of the relationship between India and the US.
When asked if the US has raised this matter with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, he said, "My knowledge about this is limited and I can't talk about diplomatic level matters, but whatever in this regard." The update will be provided to you.
Award-winning journalist Sana Irshad Mattu hails from Srinagar and is part of the four-member Reuters team that has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Photography.
A four-member team including Sana Irshad has been honored with an award for the best coverage of the Corona virus days and she was going to New York to receive the award.
Sana Irshad has an Indian passport. He said that despite having a certified visa and ticket, he was stopped from traveling.
"Participating in the award ceremony was the most important opportunity of my life," he wrote in a tweet on Tuesday.
When Reuters contacted India's Ministry of Home Affairs for its position on the matter, there was no response.
Journalists in Kashmir have been performing their duties under strict government supervision for a long time, while foreign journalists are also not allowed to meet them.
