Srinagar : Two days after Kashmiri journalist Asif Sultan was released from a five-year detention, he has been rearrested here in another case, officials said on Friday, March 1.
“Sultan was rearrested late Thursday night,” the officials said.
He was first arrested in an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act case in September 2018 when he was working as a reporter with a local magazine.
Asif Sultan’s initial arrest took place in 2018, raising widespread concerns about the stifling of journalistic freedom in the conflict-ridden area. He was detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA), a controversial law that allows for administrative detention without trial for up to two years. The charges against Sultan were related to his alleged involvement in “unlawful activities.”
After a prolonged legal battle, Asif Sultan was finally released on [insert date] after spending five years in detention. His release was seen as a glimmer of hope for press freedom advocates and human rights activists who had long criticized the use of draconian laws to suppress dissenting voices in Kashmir.
However, the optimism surrounding Sultan’s release was short-lived, as he was rearrested a mere 48 hours after regaining his freedom. The circumstances leading to his rearrest remain unclear, and the authorities have not provided a detailed explanation for this abrupt reversal. Critics argue that this move highlights the arbitrary nature of the detention system in Kashmir and raises questions about the due process and legal safeguards for individuals, especially journalists, in the region.
International human rights organizations and press freedom advocates have condemned Asif Sultan’s rearrest, calling for his immediate release and expressing concern about the broader implications for free speech in Kashmir. The repeated use of stringent laws to silence dissenting voices has been a consistent point of contention in the region, with rights groups urging the Indian government to reevaluate its approach and respect fundamental rights. ( With Agency Inputs )