Editor and co-founder of the news portal, The Kashmiriyat, Qazi Shibli has been in detention for 3 days now without any declared charges.
Updating The Kashmiriyat, Shibli’s family said, “He has been moved to PCR Hospital for reasons that we haven’t been told yet. We are praying for his health.”
On Thursday at around 2:15 PM, the Cyber Police Station Srinagar had summoned Shibli for questioning on Friday. After waiting for eight hours outside the Cyber Police Station, Shibli’s family was informed about his detention by the police.
Neither the family nor the organization, The Kashmiriyat, has been informed about the grounds of Shibli’s detention to date.
The family said, “A relative wasn’t allowed inside the police station Sher Ghari, we have no idea how he is”.
Pertinently Shibli was arrested last year and booked under PSA for publishing news about heavy deployment of security forces in Kashmir before August 5. He had been moved to Bareilly jail and released after 9 months on April 13, this year.
On August 2, people from across the world, belonging from different backgrounds, took to Twitter in condemnation of Shibli’s detention.
People stormed Twitter with the hashtags:
#ReleaseQaziShibli #WeStandWithQaziShibli #JournalismIsNotACrime #Kashmir
Free @QaziShibli!#ReleaseQaziShibli #JournalismIsNotACrime pic.twitter.com/Ah3qKGa7yy pic.twitter.com/6egAKhIHQD
— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) August 2, 2020
“Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir must immediately release Qazi Shibli and allow him to return home. Indian authorities must end their harassment of journalists and allow them to do their jobs without interference,” – @StevenBButler https://t.co/wJBivCueYo#ReleaseQaziShibli
— CPJ Asia (@CPJAsia) August 1, 2020
The police has always tried to suppress kashmiri journalists. Especially the ones who try to tell the world the truth about kashmir. Qazi shibli is the latest target…#ReleaseQaziShibli pic.twitter.com/BfwDd23Tqm
— ️Ladeeda Farzana (@ladeedafarzana) August 2, 2020
.@BDUTT you made ridiculous claims about journalist being able to question Indian govt.
Now #QaziShibli a Kashmiri journalist is behind bars for the 2nd time for writing truth. Any solidarity for him? Speak up when members from ur own profession are attacked!#ReleaseQaziShibli pic.twitter.com/JnMHbqI1nn
— Nabiya Khan | نبیہ خان (@NabiyaKhan11) August 2, 2020
Kashmiri Journalist Qazi Shibli @QaziShibli was detained by Police.
What was his crime? Why did police detain him? Where is he now? #ReleaseQaziShibli pic.twitter.com/cKxZaKBLcc
— Md Asif Khan (@imMAK02) August 2, 2020
The editor of Kashmiriyat, Shibli Qazi has been arrested by Srinagar police again for no reason disclosed. WE stand with Shibli and against all such attacks on journalism. #ReleaseQaziShibli @Allindia @amnesty pic.twitter.com/9Ibb8TsLQX
— AISA – Jamia Millia Islamia (@aisa_jamia) August 2, 2020
A country that jails its journalists, jails the truth. Fear everything when it comes to this. #ReleaseQaziShibli
— Hiba Bég (@HibaBeg) August 2, 2020
#ReleaseQaziShibli who's in detention for the last three days without any charges. Family hasn't been informed of his whereabouts. #JournalismIsNotACrime #Kashmir
— Ahmer Javed (@Ahmermusic) August 2, 2020
The Courage to speak n publish by @QaziShibli sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression
Release Qazi Shibli”@cjwerleman @mehdirhasan @trtworld #WeStandWithQaziShibli #JournalismIsNotACrime— Haris dr kmr (@DrHarisUK) August 1, 2020
There is no democracy without freedom of press. Because without freedom of press, you don't matter. Your voice, your opinion, can't be heard.#ReleaseQaziShibli pic.twitter.com/hs7y45gTGM
— Mubashir Naik (@mubashir___naik) August 2, 2020
A patient listener, a teacher, a person you can depend on, a friend, a kid when it comes to his whims. it breaks my heart to imagine what he must be doing locked up, he is so full of life, don’t cage him. #ReleaseQaziShibli
— kulcha with kehwa (@KulchaWith) August 2, 2020
If you think that arresting Qazi Shibli will cover up the truth, then it will be your mistake. You will arrest a journalist, then hundreds of journalists like @QaziShibli will rise up
(We're Kashmir we r kashmiriyat)#ReleaseQaziShibli— شاہ شاہد Shah shahid (@Skshah042) August 2, 2020
How much more will our truth be silenced?
How much more of our youth be taken away from us?How much more do we sacrifice for our people of #Kashmir to have a voice in their OWN land?
RELEASE @QaziShibli #ReleaseQaziShibli #QaziShibli https://t.co/gOTruwzovg
— Kehwa (@KehwaKashmir) August 2, 2020
#JournalismIsNotACrime#FreeQaziShibli #ReleaseQaziShibli #PressFreedom #Censorship #Kashmir
Art: @mirsuhail pic.twitter.com/84454VHymN
— Qazi Zaid (@qazizaid89) August 2, 2020
You want news in your plates at your comfort zones & just comment. But do you have idea the story behind it,how a person works so hard to present it before you and when they speak the ground realities they are detained like @QaziShibli #ReleaseQaziShibli #WeStandWithQaziShibli
— Aniqa (@_aniqaa) August 2, 2020
https://twitter.com/Kashmirception/status/1290000692195676162
In support and solidarity of Qazi Shibli, a Wikipedia page has been created from Catalonia (Spain): https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qazi_Shibli
The Kashmiriyat team demands the safe and secure return of Qazi Shibli immediately. The team also demands an end of our editor’s harassment.
The Kashmiriyat is now on Google play. Download the App HERE