The long incarcerated journalist Asif Sultan, on Sunday completed five years in jail. He is currently booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and lodged at Uttar Pradesh.
One of his family members confirmed to The Kashmiriyat that Asif had been booked under the draconian PSA and shifted to the Kot Bhalwal jail of Jammu, but he was later shifted to Agra Central Jail in Uttar Pradesh.
It is pertinent to mention that Asif, who has been incarcerated since 27 August 2018 was granted bail by a court in Srinagar on April 05, 2022.
However, he was immediately taken in for questioning by the CIK, after which he was again detained under the PSA.
Asif had been languishing in Central Jail, Srinagar for almost four years. Several international organizations including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have demanded the immediate release of Aasif Sultan who worked as an editor with Kashmir-based news magazine- Kashmir Narrator.
Sultan, arrested on August 27, 2018, has been repeatedly denied bail. His trial began in June 2019 and has been moving at a slow pace, CPJ said.
Sultan was detained during a nocturnal raid from his home in the Batamaloo area of Srinagar on charges of ‘harboring militants’ and subsequently booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Sultan was accused in a case related to a gunfight that took place in the Batamaloo neighborhood of Srinagar city.
In February 2021, the Clooney Foundation for Justice said that they will monitor Asif’s case closely through its Trial Watch program. In a statement, which came a day after a court hearing in Srinagar, regarding Sultan’s bail application.
“The Clooney Foundation for Justice calls on the authorities to ensure that Sultan’s bail hearing is conducted by international human rights law and any proceedings against him respect his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and freedom of expression.”
Pertinently Sajad Gul, a freelance Journalist from Bandipora in north Kashmir, arrested in January 2022, is currently detained under the Public Safety act has also been lodged in Central Jail agra
Kashmiri Journalist, Fahad Shah is also incarcerated after being arrested on February 04, 2022. Fahad, now booked under PSA is lodged at Jammu’s Kot Bhalwal jail.
Irfan Mehraj, another Kashmiri Journalist who was detained by the National Investigating Agency in March 2023, is lodged in Delhi jail.