CPJ, nearly 400 journalists & civil society members call for release of imprisoned Kashmiri journalist Aasif Sultan

August 27, 2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
Prime Minister’s Office
South Block, Raisina Hill
New Delhi-110011, India

Cc: Home Minister Amit Shah
Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Gov Manoj Sinha

Sent via email

Dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi,

The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined together with 397 writers, journalists, academics, press freedom advocates, and civil society members to urge you to immediately release journalist Aasif Sultan, who has been imprisoned for two years, as of today.

Sultan covers politics and human rights for the Kashmir Narrator, and has been unjustly detained since August 27, 2018, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, for his alleged complicity in “harboring known terrorists.”

But interviewing alleged militants or having sources who are critical of the government is within the scope of a journalist’s job and does not implicate them in any crime. Events in Kashmir are of public interest, and covering them is a public service, not a criminal act.

Sultan’s trial, which began in June 2019, has been moving slowly and he has repeatedly been denied bail. Police have reportedly interrogated him about his writing and asked him to reveal his sources.

Journalists should not face retaliation for their reporting. Press freedom is a vital tenet of democracy and a proud part of India’s history. We are asking you to recognize and uphold India’s commitment to press freedom under Article 19 of its constitution.

Given the recent deaths of journalists who contracted COVID-19 in government custody around the world, and the spread of COVID-19 among inmates in jails in Jammu and Kashmir, the threat to Sultan’s well-being is significant.

We call on you to follow the Supreme Court’s guidance issued on March 23 to release prisoners on parole due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and grant Aasif Sultan immediate and unconditional release.

Sincerely,

Committee to Protect Journalists

Aakar PatelJournalist
Aamir AshrafJournalist
Aaqib BashirStudent
Abdul JabbarProfessor and authorCity College of San Francisco, California, USA
Abdul Motin OstagarAcademicAliah University, Kolkata
Abhinandan SekhriJournalistNewslaundry
Abhishek MajumdarTheatre DirectorNew York University Abu Dhabi
Abrar AhmedCivil engineer
Abu ZafarJournalist
Aditya NaiqueSoftware developer
Afaan IliyasCivil society member
Ahan PenkarJournalistThe Caravan
Ahmer KhanIndependent Journalist
Ahrar RongaBusiness student
Ajaz AhmadBusinessman
Ajeet SinghJournalistAsli Bharat
Ajit SahiHuman rights/press freedom activist
Akhileshwari RamagoudJournalist
Akiba GoodwinCivil society memberJustice for All
Alex D’MelloHuman rights/press freedom activist
Alok LaddhaAcademic
Altaf QadriJournalist
Amit BhadhuriAcademicEconomist & Retired Professor
Amit Prakash SinghJournalistDelhi Union of Journalists
Amitav GhoshWriter
Ammu AbrahamActivist on women’s rights and civil liberties
Amrita Sunita Anand
Anand Jacob
Anand PatwardhanFilmmaker
Anant Phadke
Anara IbrayevaLawyer, Kazakhstan
Andrew WhiteheadJournalist and Historian
Anees ZargarJournalist
Anil EklavyaWriter
Anil MehtaCinematographer and writer
Anish GawandeAcademic
Anjana MangalagiriAcademicSenior Fellow, Institute of Social Sciences
Ankita AnandJournalist
Ankur JaiswalResearcher
Annie PhilipJournalist
Anupama PotluriAcademic
Anuradha BhasinJournalistKashmir Times
Anuradha SharmaJournalist
ApoorvanandAcademic
Arfa KhanumJournalistThe Wire
Arshu JohnJournalistThe Caravan
Arun KumarAcademicRetired Professor
Arvind SivaramakrishnanAcademic
Ashley do RosarioJournalistFomento Media Pvt Ltd
Ashok SwainProfessorUppsala University
Ashraf ThaivalappuJournalist
Ashvin KumarFilmmaker/ Actor
Asish GuptaJournalistBureau Chief, Asomiya Pratidin, New Delhi
Asiya Bashir
Athira AnandStudent
Auqib JaveedJournalistKashmir Observer
Avinash KumarHuman rights/press freedom activistAmnesty International India
Awesh TiwariJournalistSwaraj Express
Ayesha AnsariAcademic
Ayesha MinhazJournalist
Ayush TiwariJournalist
Azhar SheikhStudent
Baghambar PattanaikHuman rights activist
Bashaarat MasoodJournalist
Basharat AhmadBusinessman
Beena SarwarJournalist
Bhanuj KappalJournalist
Bhawna KhattarWriter
Bilal Ahmad Wani
Bilal Bashir BhatJournalistOnly Kashmir
C. J. WerlemanJournalist
C. K. NayakJournalistMember, Press Council of India
Cedric PrakashHuman Rights and Peace Activist/Writer
ChandrikaAcademic
ChitralekhaAcademicJawaharlal Nehru University
Christine EngoneStudent
Daniel John Paul Vanderlaan RobertsHuman rights/press freedom activist
Deepak KumarRetired Teacher
Devender PratapAcademicFellow, National Council of Applied Economic Research
Devika MittalAcademicDelhi University
Devika ShettyMental health activist
Dexter FilkinsStaff WriterThe New Yorker
Dhruva NarayanWriterJANAM Foundation, Patna
Dinesh KhannaPhotographer
Dr. A. J. C. BoseAcademicShri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi
Dr. Irfan HassanDoctor
Dr. Jeelani PirAcademic
Dr. Kamala UpadhyayaSocial WorkerASOJ
Dr. Mohammad ReyazAcademic
Dr. Mohan RaoIndependent researcher in public health
Dr. Muhammad Abdul JabbarHuman rights/press freedom activistJustice For All
Dr. Muslim JanAcademic
Dr. NandakumarProf (Adjunct) of GeographySree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady
Dr. Nisha BiswasScientist
Dr. Nurul IslamAcademic
Dr. Prakash LouisAcademicIndian Social Institute, New Delhi
Dr. Ram PuniyaniAcademicCentre for the Study of Society and Secularism
Dr. Ross HolderAsia Programme CoordinatorPEN International
Dr. Shobha Padmakar ShindeAcademicKBC North Maharashtra University Jalgaon
Dr. Siama IllahiDoctor
Dr. V. V. Krishna, FRSNAcademicProfessorial Fellow, FASS, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Dr. Vikas BajpaiUniversity teacher
Dr. Zafarul-Islam KhanJournalistFormer Chairman, Delhi Minorities Commission
Dunu RoyEnvironmentalistHazards Centre
Ehsan Ahmed SeharJournalismPresident, Rural Media Network Pakistan
Ershad MahmudWriterCentre for Peace, Development and Reforms (CPDR), Rawalakot, AJ&K
Fahad ShahJournalistThe Kashmir Walla
Faisal MagrayJournalist
Faisul YaseenJournalist
Faizu BhatBusinessman
Faraz AhmadJournalist
Farooq ShahJournalist
Farzana Yaqoob
Fathima NizaruddinFilmmaker
Fawzan HusainJournalistLens Impressions
Felix PadelWriter
Firoz AhmadResearch Scholar
Flavia AgnesFilmmaker and lawyerMAJLIS Legal Resource Centre Mumbai
Freny ManeckshaIndependent journalist
Geeta SeshuJournalistFree Speech Collective
Geetartha PathakJournalistIndian Journalists Union
Gopi ShankarConsultant
Gowhar GeelaniAuthor & journalist 
Hanan NaqeebJournalist
Harini CalamurWriter
Haroon ReshiJournalist
Harsh ManderHuman Rights worker and writer
Haseeb YousufAcademic
Hibah BhatStudent and Freelance Journalist
Hilal Ahmad
Hilal ShahEngineer
Iftikhar AhmedManagement ConsultantAhmed and Ahmed
Iftikhar GilaniJournalist
Imtiyaz PandowJournalist
Inayatullah DinStudentUniversity of Hyderabad
Indira NawagamuwaJournalist
Irfan MalikCivil Service
Irfan MehrajJournalist
Irfan Shafi BabaWriter
Irfan TahirJournalistWorld News Network Ltd UK
Ishtiaq WaniResearcher
Ismat AraJournalistThe Wire
Jacob CopemanAcademicEdinburgh University
Jairaj SinghJournalist
Jallees BashirEngineer
Jamiel AhmadAcademicKashmir University
Jasim RasoolJournalistValley Mail
Jawhar SircarFormer Culture Secretary & Ex CEO, Prasar BharatiConstitutional Conduct  
JayabathuriJournalistTamilnadu Women Journalists Forum
Jesse KnutsonAcademicUniversity of Hawaii, Manoa
Jisha ElizabethJournalist
Jitendra BhatiaWriterEnvirotech India
Jo Ann CavalloAcademicColumbia University
John A. MellmanBiostatistician
John HerseEducator
Josep Lluís AlayProfessorUniversity of Barcelona
Jyoti PunwaniJournalist
K. P. FabianAcademic
Kaisar Ahmad Zargar
Kanthi SwaroopAcademic
Karan ThaparJournalist
Kerry PC San ChiricoAcademic
Khalid AbdallaActor
Khalid Bashir GuraJournalistKashmir Life
Kiran NazishJournalistCoalition for Women in Journalism
Kirity RoyHuman rights/press freedom activistMASUM
Krish RaghavWriter
Krishna PrasadJournalist
Kumkum RoyAcademic
Lalit SurjanJournalistThe Deshbandhu
Lara JesaniHuman rights/press freedom activist
Latha JishnuJournalistIndependent
Laxmi MurthyJournalistFree Speech Collective
Lenin RaghuvanshiHuman rights/press freedom activistPeople’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR)
Long HoutingJournalist
Lord Nazir Ahmad
Lori Dee DesgrangesArtist
M Ayub BhatRadiation professional
M.M.P. SinghAcademicFormer President, Delhi University Teachers’ Association
Maaz IshaqStudent
Madhu KankariaWriter
Madhuresh KumarHuman rights/press freedom activist
Mahtab AlamJournalist
Malini SubramaniamJournalistIndependent Journalist
Manas JoarderAcademic 
Mani Shankar AiyerFormer Union Minister (India)
Manisha SethiAcademic
Manjeet KumarJournalistSaral Tehkikat News Paper
Manoj Kumar SinghJournalist
Manzoor NowshariAcademicKWZ, Germany
Mary C. ScullyWriter
Maya PalitEditor
Md. MoniruzzamanExecutive DirectorAid Organization
Meena KandasamyWriter
Meena MenonJournalist
Meenakshi SheddeJournalist
Meenal BaghelJournalist
Meghnad BoseJournalist
Mehjabeen S.H.Mansuri
Miguel BelenFilmmaker/ Actor
Mihir ZaveriJournalistPresident, The South Asian Journalists Association
Mirza WaheedWriter
Misbah BashirMedical student
Moazum MohammadJournalist
Mohammad Amjad HussainStudentStudent
Mohammad Ashraf AliHuman rights/press freedom activistRight Track
Mohammad Ilyas BhatAcademicSK University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir
Mohammed HanifWriter
Mohammed Mubashiruddin KhurramJournalist, Writer, ColumnistThe Siasat Daily
Motilal NepaliHuman rights/press freedom activistDalit Welfare Association
Mritiunjoy MohantyAcademic
Muhammad AneesAcademic
Muhammed SabithIndependent journalist (Kerala)
Muhammed Shiyas NJournalist
Mukul KesavanWriter
Musaib AhmadAcademic
Muzaffar RainaJournalist
Muzamil BhatJournalist
Muzamil JaleelJournalist
Muzamil ShahAdvocate
Muzamil Sofi
N RamJournalistThe Hindu
Najamul SaqibHuman rights/press freedom activist
Nalini RajanAcademicAsian College of Journalism
Namita BhandareJournalist
Nandita DasFilmmaker/Actor
Nandita NarainAcademicDelhi University
Narasimha ReddyAcademicUniversity of Hyderabad
Narendra KumarWriter
Naresh FernandesJournalistScroll.in
Nasir QadriAdvocateLegal forum for Kashmir
Nayeem RatherJournalist
Neelima ParvathiJournalist
Neeta KolhatkarJournalist
Neha DixitJournalist
Nikhil Mangesh WagleJournalist
Niranjan Prabhakar TakleJournalist
Nusrat SidiqJournalist
Omar HamiltonWriter
Owais Ahmad MatooBusinessman
Owais Ahmad ZargarDoctor
P SainathJournalist
Padmaja ShawAcademicOsmania University
Pallabi MunsiJournalist
Pamela PhiliposeJournalistThe Wire.in
Paojel ChaobaJournalistThe Frontier Manipur
Paranjoy Guha ThakurtaJournalist, author, publisher and documentary film-maker
Partha ChatterjeeProfessor of AnthropologyColumbia University, New York
Prabhat PatnaikProfessor EmeritusJawaharlal Nehru University
Prafulla SamantaraHuman rights/press freedom activistWinner of Goldman Environmental Prize (Green Nobel) for Asia in 2017
Prasad ChackoSocial Worker
Prasanna ChoudharyWriter
Pratap AntonyFreelance editor
Pravitha PrabhakaranJournalist
Prem Ram M RAcademic
Priyanka BorpujariIndependent journalist
Prof. Ismail K. PoonawalaProfessor Emeritus of Arabic & Islamic StudiesUniversity of California at Los Angeles
Prof. Tiplut NongbriAcademicJamia Millia Islamia
Professor Ananta Kumar GiriAcademicMadras Institute of Development Studies
Professor Lyla MehtaAcademic
Professor Maitrayee ChaudhuriAcademicJawaharlal Nehru University
Professor Sudhir ChandraAcademicHistorian
Puthenpura JobSocial worker
Qazi ZaidJournalistFree Press Kashmir
Qurat MirPharmacist
Rachel SpencePoet, JournalistFinancial Times
Radhika DesaiIndependent Researcher
Rafiq MaqboolJournalist
Raghavan SrinivasanJournalistThe Hindu Businessline
Rahil Hussain DarJournalist
Raihana MaqboolJournalist
Raja K. KhandCivil society member
Rajender Singh NegiHuman rights/press freedom activistPUDR
Rajni BakshiWriter
Rammanohar ReddyJournalist
Ramsharan JoshiFreelance Journalist.
Rana AyyubJournalist
Ranjan SolomonHuman rights/press freedom activistBADAYL
Raqib Hameed NaikNews DirectorTwoCircles.net
Rayan NaqashJournalistThe Kashmir Walla
Rayees Ahmed DarAcademic
Rayees Nazir BhatAcademic
Raza RumiJournalistPark Center for Independent Media, Ithaca College, USA
Ren TougaAcademicBeijing Foreign Studies University
Revathi PogadadandaJournalist
Revathi Siva KumarJournalist
Rishi MajumderJournalist
Riyaz WaniJournalist
Rohan D’SouzaAssociate Professor, Kyoto University
Romi MahajanWriter
Rosamma ThomasFreelance journalist
Rosina NasirAcademicJawaharlal Nehru University
Ruhail RafiquieManaging director
Rupa ChinaiWriter
S Aayeena QudratStudent
Saachi D’SouzaWriter
Sabah MubeenTeacher
Sabina InderjitHuman rights/press freedom activistIndian Journalists Union
Sagari RamdasVeterinary scientist
Sagarika GhoseJournalist
Saima MalikStudent
Sajjad KargiliSocial activist
Salik AhmadJournalist
Salil TripathiJournalist
Salim BilalStudent
Salman FarooqStudent
Samar JodhaArtist
Samata BiswasTeachingSCU
Samina MishraFilmmaker, Writer and Teacher
Samit BasuWriter
Sandeep BhushanJournalist
Sandeep PandeySocialist Party (India)
Sandhya GokhaleCivil society memberForum Against Oppression of Women, PUCL
Sandhya RavishankarJournalist
Sangeeta Barooah PisharotyNational Affairs EditorThe Wire, New Delhi
Sanjay KakFilmmaker & Writer
Sanjoy HazarikaResearcher/writer
Sarah MathewsHuman rights/press freedom activist
Saranga UgalmugleAcademic
Sarita BarpandaHuman rights/press freedom activistHuman Rights Activist
Sashi KumarJournalistAsian College of Journalism
Satish MisraJournalist
Satyam VarmaJournalist
Seema AzadJournalistDastak
Seema GuhaJournalist
Seema KaziAcademic
Sevanti NinanJournalist
Shaheen AbdullaJournalist
Shahid TantrayJournalistThe Caravan Magazine
Shalini GeraHuman rights/press freedom activistPUCL Chhattisgarh
Shamshad AliJournalistNewsX
Sheikh Javaid AliAcademicH A Book House Publishing House
Shivangi MariamWriter
Shoaib IrshadActivist
Showkat A. MottaJournalistKashmir Narrator
Showkat ShafiJournalist
Shweta DamleActivistPlatform for Social Justice
Siama IllahiDoctor
Siddharth KalhansJournalistIndian Federation of Working Journalists
Siddhartha MishraJournalistNewsClick
Simeen AnjumCivil society member
Smita RamanathanIndependent consultant
Snobar farooqTeacher
Sofia JulietMedia professional
Sofia KarimArchitect
Somak GhoshalJournalist
Soumya ShankarJournalist
Stezhka NatellaHuman rights/press freedom activist
Subhash MendhapurkarSocial Activist
Subrata BeuraFilm Society ActivistFilm Society of Bhubaneswar
Suchitra. MJournalist
Sudeep ChakravartiWriter, Journalist
Sudhir ChopraRetired
Sudhir KatiyarHuman rights/press freedom activistCLRA
Suhail SidiqueJournalist
Suhasini MulayFilmmaker/ Actor
Sujata MadhokJournalist
Sumanta BanerjeeWriter
Sundeep DougalJournalist
Suraj KamdarIndependent Researcher
Suvir KaulProfessor of English
Sweta SinghAcademicGuru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
Syed Abid AliAcademic
Syed Ishfaq AltafWriter
Syed Khalique AhmedJournalistIndia Tomorrow
Syed Muhammad RubbanStudent
Syed Owais Ali AndrabiAcademic
Syed Showket Ali AndrabiBusinesses
Tabish BhatEngineer
Tahir KhanUniversity employee
Tanvi MishraCreative DirectorThe Caravan magazine
Tessa FarmerAcademic
Umaisar GullJournalistAsia News Observer
Umer AsifJournalistThe Kashmir Walla
Usuf ChokteAcademic
V Vasantha LakshmiJournalistHuman Rights Forum
Vaibhav ShastryIndependent journalist
Venkatesh Narayanan
Venkitesh RamakrishnanJournalistFrontline
Victoria SchofieldWriter
Vimal BhanotAcademicRetired professor
Vinod DuaJournalist
Vinod K JoseExecutive EditorThe Caravan
Vishakha KhanolkarTeacher
Wafa HamidAcademic
Yashraj SharmaJournalistThe Kashmir Walla
YSK PreranaInterdisciplinary Researcher
Yuxuan HeCivil society member
Zaffar QuraishiHuman rights/press freedom activist
Zahida Qayoom MirTeacher
Zahir ud DinJournalist
Zainab RaufAcademic
Zeb KhanJournalistKashmir Peace Forum, Netherlands
Zeeshan KhanJournalist
Zeynep Gurcan Coalition for Women in Journalism
Zhong QifenStudentBeijing Foreign Studies University