Noted Kashmiri journalist and editor of news portal The Kashmir Walla, Fahad Shah, has been released from Kot Bhalwal jail of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir after nearly two years of detention.
The 31-year-old journalist reached his residence in Srinagar, today, after being released from Kot Bhalwal in Jammu.
A family member confirmed to the media that the award winning journalist reached his home on Thursday. “Fahad’s mother had not been keeping well for a while and she wanted to see her son out of jail,” the family member said.
He said that Fahad was lodged in Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu and owing to the poor health condition of the parents and only one son to take care of them, the family was not able to meet him much in Jammu. “Only close relatives were allowed to meet him,” he said.
Fahad Shah was arrested on February 04, last year, for publishing the statements of the families of the victims of a fake encounter in Pulwama district that were contrary to the police claims. He was accused by the police of disseminating anti-India content to create fear among the public. Despite securing bail in three cases, he was booked under draconian law, Public Safety Act (PSA) which allows the authorities to detain a person for a period upto two years without trial. Fahad Shah’s arrest had evoked widespread condemnation from global journalistic bodies.—KMS
