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The CPJ condemns the arrest of a journalist in occupied Kashmir, calls for his release

NEW YORK: The Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) criticized the arrest of a Kashmiri journalist and called on India for his “immediate and unconditional” release and an end to the repression of journalistic freedoms in the occupied region.

“The arrest of Fahad Shah shows the Jammu and Kashmir authorities’ utter contempt for freedom of the press and the fundamental right of journalists to report freely and safely,” said Steven Butler, the CPJ’s Asian program coordinator.

“The authorities must immediately release Fahad Shah and all other journalists behind bars and stop detaining and harassing journalists for simply doing their job,” he added.

According to reports, authorities arrested Shah editor of the online news portal The Kashmir Walla, at a police station in the southern city of Pulwama, where he was summoned that day for questioning.

In a statement, police said Shah had been identified among “some Facebook users and [news] portals ”that had posted“ anti-national content ”, but did not mention any specific content.

A first briefing report (FIR), which the CPJ examined, said Fahad Shah is being investigated for alleged sedition and having made statements that have caused public harm, both crimes under the Indian Criminal Code (IPC) and illegal activities under the of the Law on Illicit Activities (Prevention) (AUPA).

“If accused and convicted of those crimes, he could face up to seven years of imprisonment under Indian law.”

Prior to his detention, Shah told the CPJ in a telephone interview that police questioned him on Feb.1 about Kashmir Walla’s coverage of a gunfight between pro-freedom fighters and government forces on Jan.30, which was published. on the outlet’s website and on its official Facebook page.

Shah has also repeatedly supported the release of Sajad Gul, a contributor to The Kashmir Walla, on his Twitter, where he has around 55,000 followers.

Gul was arrested on January 5, as documented by the CPJ at the time. He was granted bail on January 15, but the next day the police filed another dossier against him and, according to reports, he remains in detention.

The CPJ said it repeatedly called Kashmir Police Director General Dilbag Singh and Pulwama Senior Police Superintendent Ghulam Geelani and contacted them via the messaging app for comment, but received no response.

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Sandra Loyd
Sandra Loyd
Sandra is the Reporter working for World Weekly News. She loves to learn about the latest news from all around the world and share it with our readers.

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