‘Shocking’: Prominent Kashmiri journalist arrested under India’s anti-terrorism law

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Indian authorities have arrested the editor of a prominent local news website in Jammu and Kashmir, in a widening crackdown against the media in the disputed region.

Fahad Shah, the co-founder and editor of The Kashmir Walla, has been placed under 10 days of police custody after being arrested on 4 February.

Police have accused him of publishing “anti-national content” and booked him under various sections of the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and sedition law.

If convicted, he can face a life term in prison.

“Fahad Shah is wanted in 3 cases for glorifying terrorism, spreading fake news [and] inciting general public for creating [law and order] situation (sic),” tweeted Kashmir Zone Police.

A second journalist - Gowhar Nazir Geelani - was on Monday given two days to appear over a police complaint that he had acted against the public interest by sharing information on social media about a militant attack on a policeman.

Mr Shah, 34, was arrested after he was called to submit a statement in an ongoing investigation, said The Kashmir Walla.

The investigation is examining reports relating to a gunfight between militants trapped inside a civilian home and Indian troops in Pulwama on 29 January 2020.

An innocent 17-year-old teenager was killed in the shooting, alleged the boy’s family. A report on the incident was carried by The Kashmir Walla on 31 January this year.

The police, in turn, said the teenager was a “hybrid terrorist” and was killed along with three others, reported NDTV.

The Kashmir Walla said Mr Shah was co-operating with the investigation and that it had faith in the judiciary.

Mr Shah’s lawyer Umair Ronga, however, called his arrest under the anti-terror laws “shocking”.

Mr Shah has written for prominent international organisations and was awarded a Human Rights Press Awards 2021 for his coverage of communal violence that broke out in Delhi in February 2020.

Condemning his arrest, the Editors Guild of India demanded his “immediate release” and urged state authorities to ensure police cases, “intimidatory questioning and wrongful detainment are not used as tools for suppressing press freedom”.

His arrest comes following the arrest of Sajad Gul, another contributor to The Kashmir Walla. He was detained on 16 January under the Public Safety Act.

In November last year, police arrested Khurram Parvez, a prominent activist known for documenting instances of human rights abuse carried out by the state as well as militants in Kashmir.

His arrest prompted the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner to urge Indian authorities “to stop targeting Kashmiri human rights defenders”.