UN Special Rapporteur, media bodies call for immediate release of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor on Tuesday expressed concern at the arrest of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency in Srinagar on Monday evening Lawlor also called for his immediate releaseLawlor tweeted ldquoIm deeply concerned about Kashmiri HRD and journalist IrfanMeraj He was called to come to the NIA_India office in Srinagar and arrested in a 2020 case accused of serious offences I call for his immediate releaserdquoEarlier a top press body in India Press Club of India and Kashmir based journalist network Journalist Federation of Kashmir also demanded immediate release of MehrajIm deeply concerned about Kashmiri HRD and journalist IrfanMeraj He was called to come to the NIA_India office in Srinagar and arrested in a 2020 case accused of serious offences I call for his immediate releaseIndiaUNGeneva India_NHRCmdash Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur HRDs MaryLawlorhrds March 21 2023Mehraj the agency said was a ldquoclose associaterdquo of human rights activist Khurram Parvez and was arrested in connection with its ongoing investigation into the ldquoNGO terror funding caserdquoldquoMehraj was a close associate of human rights activist Khurram Parvez and was working with his organisation Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies JKCCSrdquo PTI quoted an official of the agency as having saidThe Press Club said that it opposes the ldquoimposing of UAPA on mediapersonsrdquo and the ldquomisuse of this draconian law by NIA in randomly arresting Irfan Mehrajrdquo It said that Mehrajrsquos arrest ldquoominously points towards a violation of freedom of speech and expressionrdquoWe vehemently oppose the imposing of UAPA on mediapersons The misuse of this draconian law by NIA in randomly arresting Irfan Mehraj a journalist from Kashmir ominously points towards a violation of freedom of speech and expression We demand his immediate release pictwittercomVy2XEVQWEOmdash Press Club of India PCITweets March 21 2023ldquoWe vehemently oppose the imposing of UAPA on mediapersons The misuse of this draconian law by NIA in randomly arresting Irfan Mehraj a journalist from Kashmir ominously points towards a violation of freedom of speech and expression We demand his immediate release SICrdquo the Press Club TweetedMehraj is a regular contributor to several local national and international platforms including the international broadcasters Deutsche Welle DW Al Jazeera and TRT His work has also appeared in The Caravan Himal Magazine Brighter Kashmir and Rising KashmirMeanwhile the Journalist Federation of Kashmir a journalist network based in Kashmir advocating for press freedom also condemned Mehrajrsquos arrest and said that the arrest ldquoseems to be another tactic of intimidating journalists in Kashmir who have always worked under perilous conditions holding up values of press freedom in the face of dangers to life and libertyrdquoThe press body in a thread of tweets said ldquoThis is not the first time journalists from Kashmir have been arrestedharassedquestioned Summons for questioning and denial of their fundamental right to travel for professional academic and personal reasons is part of the tacticrdquoJournalist Federation of Kashmir condemns the arrest of a prominent journalist Irfan Mehraj on March 20 2023 by the National Investigation Agency NIAMehraj was arrested in Srinagar and then shifted to New Delhi 18 pictwittercom2pFI3Iv59umdash Journalist Federation of Kashmir pressfreedomJFK March 21 2023Pertinently three journalists from Kashmir Asif Sultan Sajad Gul and Fahad Shah are in jailJFK said that it ldquostrongly condemns the pattern of intimidation and views it as continued attacks on freedom of press in KashmirrdquoAlso readMisuse of draconian UAPA says Mehbooba after NIA arrests Kashmiri journalist Irfan MehrajldquoFor a vibrant press to flourish in a society authorities have to move beyond hollow claims of respect for press freedom and work towards a conducive environment where a journalist can report the facts on ground express opinion on social media without fear threat of arrestrdquo it said