Arrests – Journalists

After travelling through the dusty plains and steep mountain roads for two days, Aasif Sultan arrived home from jail on the afternoon of February 29, 2024. The incarcerated journalist walked out of jail after spending over 2000 days in different prisons in Jammu and Kashmir and in Uttar Pradesh, about 1540 km from his home in Batamaloo, Srinagar on February 27, 2024. But his freedom was short-lived. After spending just five hours at home, the authorities summoned Aasif to a police station, where he was re-arrested.

Aasif’s latest arrest under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) is related to an incident of rioting on April 4, 2019 in Srinagar’s central jail where he was lodged at the time. The 36-year-old journalist was arrested on August 31, 2018, on charges of being an overground worker of militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen and harbouring and aiding militants.