Source: PTI
The
Editors Guild of India on Wednesday voiced "deep concern" over the
arrest of Jammu and Kashmir-based journalist Irfan Mehraj and "excessive
use" of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against
mediapersons.
It said earlier journalists Aasif Sultan, Sajad Gul
and Fahad Shah too were arrested. "The space for media freedom has
progressively eroded in Kashmir," the Guild said in a statement.
"Irfan Mehraj's arrest continues a trend in Kashmir of
security forces arresting journalists because of their critical
reporting of the establishment," it said.
Mehraj was arrested by the National Investigation Agency in connection with a terror funding case.
The
Guild urged the administration to respect democratic values and stop
the harassment of journalists in the name of national security. Mehraj
had started his career as a journalist in 2015 and covered politics and
human rights extensively, it said.
Mehraj has written for several
publications about the situation in Kashmir following the abrogation of
Article 370 and also runs an online publication called Wande Magazine,
the Guild said.
