Global rights groups condemn sedition case against Mohammed Zubair
New Delhi: Global human rights organizations have strongly condemned the sedition case filed against Alt News co-founder and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair by Ghaziabad Police in Uttar Pradesh over a social media post sharing a provocative speech by controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a joint statement, prominent rights groups, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), International Press Institute (IPI), Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Committee to Protect Journalists, criticized the continued use of sedition laws to suppress independent journalism and free speech. “Zubair has long been targeted by the authorities for his fact-checking, journalism, and use of social media,” the statement noted, highlighting the consistent misuse of legal provisions against the award-winning journalist.
The signatories recalled Zubair’s arrest in June 2022 over a satirical tweet and comments linked to a BJP spokesperson, leading to multiple cases lodged against him under charges of promoting enmity and outraging religious sentiments. Despite repeated bails, fresh FIRs were registered, entangling Zubair in a cycle of arrests and re-arrests until the Supreme Court intervened to grant him bail.
The statement pointed out that the new FIR cites several legal provisions, including Section 66 of the Information Technology Act and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), a modernized version of the sedition clause. It also emphasized the alarming trend of increasing sedition charges, with 13,000 cases filed between 2010 and 2021 targeting journalists, protesters, and social media users. The rights organizations demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FIR against Zubair and urged the Indian government to uphold freedom of expression.
Zubair, a recipient of the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Award, has filed a petition for interim bail and quashing of the FIR, with the Allahabad High Court yet to conduct a hearing after recusing itself on December 3.
The joint statement concluded by calling on the Indian government to cease its suppression of independent voices and ensure the protection of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.
