Muslim Journalist and Fact Checker Detained in India for Tweets Authorities Claim Inflamed Religious Strife

Natalie KorachJul 7th, 2022, 12:54 pm
 

OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images

Alt News journalist and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair — who has been vocal in his opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi — was arrested by Indian authorities and detained on June 27th as a result of a tweet from four years prior.

Zubair, who has a vast following on Twitter, is the co-founder of the fact-checking Alt News site. The journalist often uses his account to debunk anti-Islamic propaganda.

The journalist was initially brought in for questioning in Delhi on an unrelated case but was arrested for a tweet from 2018 and charged with “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.”

Zubair was placed in a four-day custodial interrogation, which was then extended to July 2. The co-founder of Alt News was denied bail by the Delhi high court and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.

Zubair was produced to the court in Sitapur with a bail plea that was rejected on the grounds that there is a high possibility of the accused repeating the offenses. The journalist has still not been sentenced and has been in judicial custody since July 4th.

A police investigation of the journalist’s account was enacted when an anonymous account called out the 2018 post by Zubair. In the Tweet the journalist writes, “Before 2014: Honeymoon Hotel,” continuing, “After 2014: Hanuman Hotel,” referring to the Hindu god Hanuman, which was perceived as a tactic of mocking the religion.

Zubair said that prior to the arrest he had received a notice from Twitter that the Indian government claimed that his account violated laws within the country.

Following Zubair’s arrest, Alt News made a statement, posted on Twitter, that the allegations against the journalist are “categorically false.”

The foreign ministry of Germany has also spoken out in opposition to Zubair’s arrest. The ministry spokesperson addressed the controversy at a press briefing saying that they are monitoring the situation closely and are in contact with EU partners in India. The spokesperson also insisted that democracy relies on press freedom saying that this is of great importance internationally.

The arrest of Zubair comes after the journalist gained international attention for his criticisms of an official from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party for making controversial comments about the prophet Muhammad and Islam in general.

The Modi government has been reportedly condemning critics, specifically those active across social media platforms. Zubair’s arrest raises national suspicions that Indian authorities are charging those in opposition to the government.

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