The United Nations human rights experts have asked the Indian government to explain the harassment, detention, and charges against four Kashmiri journalists and closure of the office of Kashmir Times.
The letter was written by the UN Human Rights Council-appointed Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan and Vice-Chair of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Elina Steinerte.
While the message was dated June 3, it was made public earlier this month following the expiry of the deadline of 60 days.
“While awaiting a reply, we urge that all necessary interim measures be taken to halt the alleged violations and prevent their re-occurrence and in the event that the investigations support or suggest the allegations to be correct, to ensure the accountability of any person(s) responsible for the alleged violations,” they said in the document, which was released on Thursday.
The UN officials cited the examples of The Kashmir Walla Editor-in-Chief Fahad Shah, independent journalists Auqib Javeed and Sajar Gul, and The Kashmiriyat editor Qazi Shibli.
Shah had reportedly been detained without a warrant by the police in Srinagar in 2017, the UN document said. “Shah was allegedly interrogated for eight hours by a group of officers who inquired about his journalistic work and his travels,” it added.
The document also mentioned that in May 2020, the Srinagar Police had summoned Shah for questioning about The Kashmir Wallah’s coverage of a gunfight in the Nawakadal neighbourhood of downtown Srinagar.
In January this year, a first information report had been filed against the organisation for an article about Indian Army personnel allegedly forcing a school in Shopian district to hold a Republic Day event.
Meanwhile, Javeed, in September 2020, had allegedly been threatened and slapped by the police for his report about some officials intimidating Twitter users.
(Inputs The Wire, Scroll.in)
(Featured image: The Globe Post)