Police in Indian-administered Kashmir have arrested a prominent Kashmiri journalist and charged him with “appreciating terrorism” and “spreading fake news”.
In Indian-administered Kashmir, crackdown on the press has intensified.
Fahad Shah, editor of the website Kashmirwala, has been questioned several times in recent years for his reporting.
Kashmir police on Saturday said they had been arrested for “appreciating terrorism”, “spreading fake news” and “inciting the public”.
A police statement a day after the Kashmiri journalist’s arrest said Fahad Shah’s Facebook posts had “tarnished the image of law enforcement agencies”.
On the other hand, the Committee to Protect Journalists has demanded the release of Fahad Shah and asked the Indian government to respect freedom of the press in Kashmir.
Steven Butler, of the Washington-based group, said: “The arrest of Fahad Shah is a clear indication of the authorities’ complete disregard for freedom of the press and the fundamental right of journalists to report freely and securely.”
Since the end of the special status of Indian-administered Kashmir in 2019, the police have been regularly summoning journalists and asking questions about their work.
Journalists have also been subjected to harassment, arrests, raids and legal action over allegations of “terrorism”.