India cancels Norwegian journalist’s visa months after she questioned Modi on press freedom

Résumé détaillé

Helle Lyng Svendsen was supposed to attend Bharat Summit, organised by the opposition Congress party, which opened on Friday in Hyderabad, bringing together delegates from more than 70 countries

The Association of Norwegian Editors and Norwegian Press Association on Friday asked the Indian government the “reasons” for cancelling journalist Helle Lyng Svendsen’s visa, months after she had questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi about press freedom in India.

Svendsen, who works with Oslo-based newspaper Dagsavisen, said she had been invited as a panellist and a speaker at the Bharat Summit 2026 being organised by the opposition Congress party to discuss the future of media and press freedom.

The two-day summit, which opened on Friday in the city of Hyderabad, brings together around 1,000 delegates from more than 70 countries to discuss democracy, climate change, artificial intelligence and global cooperation.

More than 100 international speakers were also blocked from attending the summit, a senior opposition politician said on Friday.

“We are writing to the Embassy regarding the revocation of Dagsavisen journalist Helle Lyng Svendsen's visa on 11 November – the very day she was due to travel to India for the Bharat Summit panel discussion and to give a talk on press freedom,” the association said in a letter.

“It is deeply concerning if journalists are denied entry to India for doing their job...[She] has not been given an official explanation. Nevertheless, we believe it is legitimate to ask whether the revocation of her journalist visa is connected to the critical questions she posed to India's Prime Minister,” the statement read.

Svendsen had come into the spotlight in May after questioning Modi on his refusal to take questions from journalists during a joint press meet with his Norwegian counterpart in Oslo.

Modi, who first came to power in 2014, has not held a single press conference. He has spoken occasionally to a select few journalists in the country who are seen by critics as being close to the ruling establishment.

Journalists noted press freedom in the democratic country has been shrinking in recent years, particularly under Modi's government.

Début de l'article, extrait de Khaleej Times. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.