Asif Sultan

Asif Sultan, also known as Aasif Sultan, is a Kashmiri journalist who has been jailed by India since August 2018.[2][3][4] On October 17, 2019, Sultan received the annual John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award by the National Press Club of America.[5] In April 2022, Aasif was granted bail but not released, instead he was re-arrested and booked under the Public Safety Act.[6]

Asif Sultan
Occupation(s)Journalist
Narrator
AwardsJohn Aubuchon Press Freedom Award (2019)[1]

History

In 2018 Sultan, as a politics and human rights journalist in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir for the monthly Srinagar-based Kashmir Narrator.[3] He was reporting on civil unrest in Kashmir, including interviewing alleged members of militant groups, and was arrested on 27 August 2018 under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.[3][7] Sultan was refused bail and his trial only began in Jun 2019.[3]

Aasif Sultan published 'The rise of Burhan Wani', the profile of Kashmiri militant and the real reason of his framing in the case and later brazenly acknowledged by the police in the Public Safety Act dossier. The establishment did not like his journalist work on Burhan Wani who was killed in 2016.[5] However, a senior police officer claimed that evidence against Sultan was “strong”, but refused to disclose more since the case is in court.[8]

Committee to Protect Journalists and various other international organisations have demanded release of Aasif Sultan.

In April 2022, Aasif was granted bail but was not released, instead re-arrested and booked under the Public Safety Act.[9]

On 27 August 2023, Asif completed 5 years in jail.[10]

Works
  • Sultan, Sultan (1 July 2018). "The Rise of Burhan". Kashmir Narrator. No. June 2018. Srinagar. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2021.

Awards
  • John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award (2019)

References
  1. Donnelly, John M. (22 August 2019). "National Press Club announces 2019 press freedom honorees". Washington, D.C.: The National Press Club. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  2. "Aasif Sultan". Committee to Protect Journalism. New York: cpj.org. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  3. Hilal Mir (27 August 2020). "Activists demand detained Kashmiri journalist's release". Turkey: Anadulu Agency. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  4. "UAPA case against Kashmiri photojournalist for 'anti-national posts'". The Indian Express. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  5. Azaan Javid (24 August 2019). "Jailed Kashmiri journalist who won US media award was arrested after Burhan Wani profile". theprint.in. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  6. Crouch, Erik (11 April 2022). "Kashmiri journalist Aasif Sultan granted bail, then re-arrested under preventative detention law". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  7. Kuchay, Bilal (31 May 2021). "Kashmiri journalist Aasif Sultan kept in jail for more than 1,000 days". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  8. Javaid, Azaan (24 August 2019). "Jailed Kashmiri journalist who won US media award was arrested after Burhan Wani profile". ThePrint. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  9. "5 Days after getting bail, Asif Sultan booked under PSA; Shifted to Kot Bhalwal jail".
  10. News Desk (27 August 2023). "Kashmiri journalist Asif Sultan completes five years in Jail". The Kashmiriyat. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
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