Fact-checking website Alt News co-founder Zubair was arrested Monday by Delhi police for allegedly hurting religion. Journalists should not be jailed for what they write, tweet, and say, a spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday in response to the arrest of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in India. To express themselves freely without the threat of intimidation. The co-founder of Alt News, and the co-founder of the fact-checking business, Zubair, was arrested Monday by Delhi police for allegedly harming religious feelings through one of the tweets he posted in 2018.
Commenting on the arrest of journalist Zubair, spokesman for Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said: “It is very important all over the world that people can express themselves freely; journalists can express themselves freely and without the threat of any intimidation”. Dujarric responded to a question on the daily news briefing about Zubair’s arrest. He was brought before a magistrate, who sent him to the police for a day.
“Journalists should not be jailed for what they write, what, and, and And that goes for everywhere in the world, including in this room,” Dujarric said in response to another question from a Pakistani journalist about whether he is also asking for Zubair’s release from custody. Zubair’s arrest came days after Gujarat authorities arrested Teesta Setalvad on charges of “criminal conspiracy, forgery, and posting false evidence in court to frame innocent people” during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The UN human rights organization has expressed concern over the arrest and detention of social activist Setalvad and has called for her immediate release. Setalvad was detained from her home in the Juhu area of Mumbai on Saturday afternoon after an FIR was registered against her with the Ahmedabad Crime Department based on a complaint filed by Crime Department Inspector DB Barad. She was taken to Ahmedabad by road by Gujarat Police. The Ahmedabad Crime Department arrested Setalvad on Sunday, a day after she was detained in Mumbai and moved to Gujarat.
“#India: We are deeply concerned about the arrest and detention of #WHRD @TeestaSetalvad and two ex-police officers and call for their immediate release. They should not be prosecuted for their activism and solidarity with the victims of the #GujaratRiots of 2002,” UN Human Rights tweeted Tuesday. A court in Ahmedabad on Sunday remanded social activist Setalvad and former State Police Director General RB Sreekumar into custody until July 2 in a case of fabricating evidence to frame innocent people in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Former IPS officer and accused Sanjiv Bhatt, who is serving a life sentence in a cell death sentence and a prison in Palanpur in Banaskantha district, will be taken to Ahmedabad on a transfer warrant. Setalvad, Sreekumar, and Bhatt are accused of abusing the law’s process by conspiring to fabricate evidence to defraud innocent people for a crime punishable by death in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots. An FIR was registered against Setalvad, Sreekumar, and Bhatt on Saturday, a day after the Supreme Court rejected a petition challenging the blank slate the SIT had given to then Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others in the 2002 riot cases.
