NEW DELHI (TSAT) - The world leading Press Freedom, Human Rights and media organizations have asked the Indian administered Kashmir governor to immediatly release the journalists who arrested by Indian government under draconian laws. 

In a joint letter, sent to Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor, Jammu and Kashmir, 58 leading world organizations including Committee to Protect Journalists, Indian Federation of Working Journalists, Indian Journalists Union, International Federation for Human Rights, International Federation of Journalists and many others lamented over the arrest of journalists in Kashmir. 

"We, the undersigned 58 press freedom organizations, human rights organizations, and publications write to request your urgent intervention to secure the immediate release of Fahad Shah, editor of the online news portal The Kashmir Walla, from jail, and the withdrawal of all police investigations launched into his journalistic work," the organization wrote in their letter.

The Indian authorities arrested Shah on Feb. 4 over his report on extra-judicial killings of innocent Kashmiri people and filed charges of sedition against him.

 
The Indian authorities arrest every Kashmiri who speak against the killing of innocent people in the occupied valley and filed cases against them under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, a draconian law. 

 
"Shah is well known to many in South Asia and around the world as a journalist of high integrity. His writing for The Nation magazine was recognized at the 2021 Human Rights Press Awards. His reporting on events in Jammu and Kashmir is a public service, not a crime, and should be protected under Indian law." said the world leading organizations. 

They urged the governor to immediately  release of other detained Kashmiri journalists including  Sajad Gul, Aasif Sultan, and Manan Gulzar Dar – all of whom, like Shah, have been jailed under anti-terror or preventative detention laws in apparent retaliation for their work.

"Since the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s political autonomy in August 2019, press freedom and rights groups have documented numerous incidents of detentions and threats to journalists in the region. In view of this, the release of Fahad Shah and other arbitrarily detained journalists is a critical step to prevent further criminalization of the profession in Jammu and Kashmir," its said.

The Press Freedom and human rights bodies urged the governor to to ensure that authorities drop their retaliatory investigations into all four journalists, withdraw any unwarranted charges brought against them, and allow Kashmiri members of the press to work freely without facing detention, harassment, and other forms of government reprisal.