One of the editors of The Kashmiriyat, Qazi Shibli, after being summoned by the cyber police in Srinagar was later detained and is yet to be released. There has been no clarification from the cyber police as to what charges he has been detained for.
Qazi Shibli had got a call from the cyber police station at around 2:15 PM on Thursday asking him to present himself for questioning in the cyber police station on Friday.
On Friday, speaking to The Kashmiriyat, Qazi Shibli’s family stated that they waited for 8 hours outside the Cyber Cell in Srinagar before being told that he was being detained, without revealing the charges for detention.
As of now, Qazi Shibli’s family said that they don’t have any updates regarding his detention.
Pertinently, Qazi was arrested last year in 2019, and booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) for publishing news about heavy deployment of security forces in Kashmir before August 5th. He had been kept at Bareilly jail for 9 months and released on 13th April 2020.
Qazi Shibli’s detention on Friday has been widely condemned on various social media platforms.
On Twitter, many journalists, activists, and academicians demanded Shibli’s release and condemned the harassment.
Tweeting with the hashtag #JournalismIsNotACrime and #ReleaseQaziShibli, people are questioning the government for muzzling the ‘voice of people’, the journalists.
People from across the globe and in Kashmir have taken to Twitter in support of Qazi Shibli:
Demanding Qazi Shibil’s release, Committee for Protection Journalists (CPJ) tweeted, “@JmuKmrPolice must immediately release @QaziShibl, the editor of @TheKashmiriyat, who was detained last evening by the Cyber Crime Cell in Srinagar. #ReleaseQaziShibli #PressFreedom #Kashmir #India #JournalismIsNotACrime”
.@JmuKmrPolice must immediately release @QaziShibli, the editor of @TheKashmiriyat, who was detained last evening by the Cyber Crime Cell in Srinagar. https://t.co/GysCRGAoFo#ReleaseQaziShibli #PressFreedom #Kashmir #India #JournalismIsNotACrime
— CPJ Asia (@CPJAsia) August 1, 2020
La detenció del periodista caiximiri @QaziShibli recorda que l'amenaça a la llibertat d'expressió i d'informació tampoc no entén de fronteres. La internacional repressora pot tenir moltes cares i matisos, però és la mateixa. Persegueix sempre els mateixos. https://t.co/4hx1rG3wUO
— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) August 1, 2020
Wonder if @QaziShibli 's fault is his being Editor of @TheKashmiriyat ? Should have chosen #SabKhairiyat as title for his publication.
On a more serious note, we must be told why he was summoned by the police again and, as has been reported by @FreePressK, detained subsequently.— YusufJameelیوسف جمیل (@jameelyusuf) August 1, 2020
Mir Suhail, a leading Kashmiri political cartoonist, tweeted, “JOURNALISM IS NOT A CRIME!!! #releaseqazishibli #kashmir #journalismunderattack #freejournalism #pressfreedom”
JOURNALISM IS NOT A CRIME!!!#releaseqazishibli #kashmir #journalismunderattack #freejournalism #pressfreedom pic.twitter.com/opZ7s5bCiY
— Mir Suhail (@mirsuhail) August 1, 2020
Adnan Bhat, an independent multimedia journalist, tweeted “A journalist was summoned to a police station. Almost, 24hrs later he remains in detention. No word on the charges under which he is being held. This can’t not be normal. #ReleaseQaziShibli“
A journalist was summoned to a police station. Almost, 24hrs later he remains in detention. No word on the charges under which he is being held.
This can’t not be normal. #ReleaseQaziShibli
— Adnan Bhat (@Adnanmbhat) August 1, 2020
Qazi Zaid, the editor of Free Press Kashmir, tweeted “This is ridiculous. On the night of Arfa police is detaining QaziShibli. This harassment @ hounding of a journalist for writing a report must stop. Why is he being harassed? @Tahir_A,@listenshahid, @kansalrohit69?”
This is ridiculous. On the night of Arfa police is detaining @QaziShibli. This harassment @ hounding of a journalist for writing a report must stop.
Why is he being harassed? @Tahir_A @listenshahid @kansalrohit69? #JournalismIsNotACrime @CPJAsia @RSF_inter @RSF_en https://t.co/WDnidmjieg
— Qazi Zaid (@qazizaid89) July 31, 2020
Fahad Shah, the editor of The Kashmiri Walla, tweeted “JOURNALISM IS NOT A CRIME #ReleaseShibli“
JOURNALISM IS NOT A CRIME!#ReleaseShibli
— Fahad Shah (@pzfahad) July 31, 2020
Peerzada Wassem, a Kashmiri photojournalist, tweeted “Release Qazi Shibli #JournalismIsNotACrime”
Release @QaziShibli ?#JournalismIsNotACrime
— Peerzada Waseem (@Waseemjourno) August 1, 2020
Zeeshan Jaipuri, an emerging Kashmiri poet, tweeted Qazi Shibli’s words, “These FIRs and arrests, including my imprisonment, are just like small threads. Ultimately it will become a web, and we’ll get stuck into it like insects. Before the web gets strong — we need to speak against it.” –@QaziShibli #ReleaseShibli”
These FIRs and arrests, including my imprisonment, are just like small threads. Ultimately it will become a web, and we’ll get stuck into it like insects. Before the web gets strong — we need to speak against it.”@QaziShibli #ReleaseShibli
— سید ذیشان جےپوری (@zeeshan_jaipuri) August 1, 2020
More tweets are available below:
@QaziShibli is the only journalist of Kashmir who raises his pen to highlight the problems of the ppl He writes to maintain Hindu-Muslim brotherhod inside the valley On the same days last year Shibli was arrested and sent to Bareli Jail for 9 mnths under PSA #ReleaseQaziShibli pic.twitter.com/pQpcgbXjtD
— شاہ شاہد Shah shahid (@Skshah042) August 1, 2020
To #Kashmiri journalists who are not saying a word or just 'retweeting' for @QaziShibli
You are neither Kashmiri nor a Journalist. #ReleaseQaziShibli #ReleaseShibli #JournalismIsNotACrime #QaziShibli#WeStandWithQaziShibli #Kashmir #JournalismInKashmir #EidAlAdha
— Kehwa (@KehwaKashmir) August 1, 2020
Speak up.
It is him today, tomorrow it will be you.#ReleaseShibli #JournalismIsNotACrime #ReleaseQaziShibli @CPJAsia #WeStandWithQaziShibli #JournalismIsNotACrime— Imtiaz Ahmad Bhat (@bhat_imtiaz) August 1, 2020
The Kashmiriyat team awaits the safe and secure return of our editor, Qazi Shibli.
#ReleaseQaziShibli #JournalismIsNotACrime #QaziShibli #ReleaseShibli #Kashmir
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