Perhaps, dissent muzzled

Despite large scale protests by the journalist community the Delhi police has not yet filed a chargesheet against Urdu journalist and commentator on Iran and Arab affairs, Syed Mohammad Ahmad Kazmi. He was arrested on March 6 in connections with the February attack on an Israeli diplomatic vehicle. Kazmi had publicly taken a position questioning the immediate attribution of the attack to agencies linked to the Iran government. He was arrested soon after and has been in jail now for over two months.

 Several journalists have come together to demand his immediate release as the police has not placed any evidence before the court that can justify his detention. The police has not submitted any proof of his involvement in the attack on the Israeli diplomatic vehicle. Kazmi is a journalist of repute, having worked with Doordarshan earlier. He is well known in journalistic circles and well regarded. Several individual journalists and media organisations have raised serious doubts about the arrest, demanding a full investigation into the arrest.

 It is extremely unfortunate that the government has decided to ignore the protests, even though the Delhi police and its special cell has still not been able to frame a chargesheet against Kazmi. Journalists are always easy targets, and it is sad that more and more media personnel are being targeted in such a manner in the sub-continents. In Pakistan the situation is even worse, as several journalists have been killed, with nine deaths being reported in just the last one year. In most cases the killers are not apprehended and the investigation reaches a dead end without any arrests. 

 Journalists who speak their mind, and try and do their job with integrity and courage, are coming under pressure in almost all of South Asia where they are being targeted for reporting the truth. This has to stop, with governments and civil society working together to create an atmosphere where free and fair reporting is protected, and journalists are able to operate without fear of their lives.