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India’s dreaded NIA Patiala Court Sends Kashmiri Journalist Irfan Mehraj to 10-day NIA Custody

 New Delhi, March 22 : The India's notorious agency NIA's Delhi court  has remanded Kashmiri journalist ,Irfan Mehraj, to 10 days of   dreaded agency Antional Investigation Agency (NIA) custody. The journalist was arrested under the  black law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on Monday from his Srinagar residence and was produced on Wednesday before Patiala House Court New Delhi.  NIA sought 12 days of remand to interrogate  the twocircles.net Editor,Mehraj.A senior journalist based in Srinagar, in an interview to a foreign media channel said that these arrests were being made to perpetuate fear. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said, “Sometimes you feel every journalist is silent and no one will be touched. But then, arrests like these show that things are not normal”. He added, “No one is writing or speaking about anything, but still, there is a lot of fear.”

Mehraj has been charged under several fake cases by the Indian agency.

Meanwhile, several  Indian and international human rights groups, media bodies, concerned individuals and journalists  have raised serious concerns over Mehraj’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.
Condemning the arrest, the Editors Guild of India said in a statement: “Irfan Mehraj’s arrest continues a trend in Kashmir of  Indian forces arresting journalists because of their critical reporting of the establishment. These include journalists Aasif Sultan, Sajad Gul, and Fahad Shah. The space for media freedom has progressively eroded in Kashmir.”
Press Club of India (PCI demanded Mehraj’s release calling his arrest a “violation of freedom of speech and expression”. The PCI tweeted on Monday: “We vehemently oppose the imposing of UAPA on media persons. 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.” It demanded his immediate release.
Press Club of India@PCITweets
We 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
Aakar Patel, the chair of Amnesty International in India, said Mehraj’s arrest was “a gross injustice” and “travesty”.
In a statement, he said that “the arrest is yet another instance of the long-drawn repression of human rights and crackdown of media freedom and civil society in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir”.
Patel further asserted that journalists such as Irfan Mehraj should be “protected and not persecuted” and that he must be “immediately released”.
In a strongly worded statement, he went on to say that the suppression of freedom of speech and stifling of human rights continues unabated in Kashmir.
Mary Lawlor, United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defender, denounced the arrest and called for his immediate release.
Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur HRDs @MaryLawlorhrds
I'm 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 release. @IndiaUNGeneva @India_NHRC
 
All India Lawyers’ Association For Justice (AILAJ) also demanded the release of the journalist and said in a statement: “The arrest of Irfan Mehraj is a continuation of the relentless assault on press and freedom of speech in Jammu and Kashmir. We demand his immediate release.”
Fraternity Movement, a youth organisation that strives to realise a society based on inclusive democracy and stand against human rights violations in India, also strongly condemned the arrest of Mehraj.
Demanding to stop the criminalisation of journalism, the organisation called to remove all charges against the arrested journalist.
Journalists and rights defenders took to social media to raise their concerns about the arrested Kashmiri journalist.
Journalist Federation of occupied Kashmir, a journalist network based in Kashmir advocating for press freedom, condemning the arrest said: “His arrest seems 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 liberty.”
A federation statement said that “JFK strongly condemns the pattern of intimidation and views it as a continuing attack on freedom of the press in Kashmir.”
Mirza Waheed, a noted Kashmiri writer and author of the book The Collaborator, urged media bodies and news organisations to back Mehraj and root for his release.
Mirza Waheed·Mar 21, 2023@MirzaWaheed
Disturbing news from Kashmir. Journalist Irfan Mehraj has been arrested by Indian police. Mehraj is an excellent journalist whose work has appeared in prominent publications in India and elsewhere. 
Three Kashmiri journalists Asif Sultan, Sajad Gul and Fahad Shah are in prison.
Mirza Waheed@MirzaWaheed
It might help if publications and broadcasters Irfan has worked with, @DeutscheWelle for instance, and, of course, press organisations such as @PCITweets @CPJAsia @IndEditorsGuild , and @IndexCensorship ask questions about his arrest.
Tagging the media bodies and publications, he tweeted: “It might help if publications and broadcasters Irfan has worked with, @DeutscheWelle for instance, and, of course, press organisations such as @PCITweets @CPJAsia @IndEditorsGuild, and @IndexCensorship ask questions about his arrest”.
Shahid Tantray, a prominent Kashmiri journalist with the Caravan Magazine, expressed his concern and anger over silence from what he called ‘liberals.’ He took it to Twitter and wrote: “You have built careers in Kashmir and your silence speaks louder than your words. #IrfanMehraj is Kashmiri. A Muslim journalist and I can see the silence of the liberals.”
Shahid Tantray | شاہد تانترے@shahidtantray
You have built careers on Kashmir and your silence speak louder than your words. #IrfanMehraj is Kashmiri. A Muslim journalist and I can see the silence of the liberals.
Other Kashmiri journalists including Fahad Shah, editor of the Kashmirwalla Magazine, Aasif Sultan and Sajad Gul are currently facing detention under various sections of the law.
The Hindu correspondent Peerzada Ashiq, noted Srinagar-based journalist and author Gowhar Geelani, and photojournalist Masrat Zahra, were also charged by the Jammu and Kashmir police under  black laws.