Geneva: Press Emblem Campaign, the global media safety and rights body, expressed relief that Kashmiri journalist Majid Hyderi was released recently following an Indian court’s order stating that criticism of the government can not constitute grounds for detention. Arrested under the Public Safety Act, Hyderi was released by the Jammu & Kashmir High Court after over 525 days of detention. The independent journalist and political analyst, who is partially associated with local newspaper Greater Kashmir, had already arrived home in Srinagar.
He was arrested in September 2023 on charges of alleged extortion and defamation. Hyderi was kept in Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu locality under the particular law that allows the authorities to detain one individual without trial for up to two years. Various local, regional and national media bodies including Kashmir Press Club raised voices for his release and now they have welcomed the court order. Not only Hyderi, but several journalists from the Kashmiri valley have been arrested and many of them are still facing legal procedures.
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Release in Malaysia
Earlier, the PEC expressed respite over the release of Malaysiakini (English online news portal) journalist B Nantha Kumar after four days of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s remand. He was arrested by commission for allegedly accepting a bribe of RM 20,000 from an agent dealing with foreign workers last Friday and his release on bail was ordered by the Magistrate’s Court in Putrajaya locality.
Nantha, since he started working for the Malaysian news outlet in 2018, prepared some excellent articles on migrant workers exposing corruption in the country’s immigration department. “The Malaysia authorities should ensure a fair, impartial and transparent investigation over the issue of B Nantha Kumar’s arrest and he should get justice with no political interference,” said Blaise Lempen, president of PEC (www.pressemblem.ch/pec-news).
PEC’s south & southeast Asian representative Nava Thakuria informed that the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) also expressed serious concern over Kumar’s arrest. The forum of Parliamentarians pointed out that the journalists can play a critical role in exposing corruption and holding those in power accountable. While corruption must be tackled, any attempt to use anti-graft laws to intimidate or silence the press is unacceptable, said an APHR statement.
(Nava Thakuria is a senior Indian journalist who contributes to various media outlets including print and digital platforms of India and across the world.)
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