Arrests – Journalists

Indian police arrested and detained the assistant editor of the Kashmir Narrator over alleged militancy crimes and held him for six days without charge. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Indian Journalist Union (IJU) in condemning the arrest and detention of Aasif Sultan and demands his immediate release.

Police arrested Asif Sultan for questioning at his home in Jammu and Kashmir state on the evening of August 27. He was illegally detained for six days and was questioned about stories he published in the magazine. Following concerns raised by journalist unions, Sultan was finally presented to court on September 1 but remained in police custody for another week over his alleged involvement in militancy-related incidents.

Police also seized his laptop, cell phones and other documents. Sultan’s family and the magazine strongly refute the allegations and claim they have been falsified by police. In police custody, Sultan was questioned over his coverage of militant commander Burhan Wani in the June issue of the magazine, as well as being interrogated over his ideology and other stories, the Kashmir Narrator said in a statement.