UN Secretary-General on Mohammad Zubair’s arrest: “Journalists should not be jailed”

Journalists should not be jailed says UN Secretary-General on the Mohammad Zubair’s arrest case.

Recently, Mohammad Zubair sparked controversy with his arrest for making an “objectionable tweet” in 2018 regarding a Hindu Deity. UN Secretary-General did not seem to agree with the arrest referring to the violation of the right of freedom of speech. Despite the fact that the very tweet targeted individual communities.

The concept of freedom of speech has been a very relative topic around the country for a long time, what we can and cannot say is relative to the situation that one is in and if history is born witness, people have often protested against this fact.

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The most recent controversy surrounding Mohammad Zubair, Co-founder of Alt News who has been arrested for his comments against a Hindu Deity has been under scrutiny from various leaders. In this regard, UN Secretary-General had mentioned that “Journalists should not be jailed for what they write, they tweet or they say “. The UN Secretary-General had mentioned that journalists should express themselves freely without the scope of harassment from anyone.

Zubair was initially arrested by the Delhi Police and has been ordered to be kept in Police custody. Further, for 4 days over an “objectionable tweet” made in 2018 regarding a Hindu Deity. Which had led to a series of hate speeches and deterioration of communal harmony.

UN Secretary-General on Mohammad Zubair’s arrest

“I think, first of all, in any place around the world. It is very important that people be allowed to express themselves freely. Journalists be allowed to express themselves freely and without the threat of any harassment”. Hence, said Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General. Journalists shouldn’t be imprisoned for what they publish, tweet, or say. In answer to a query, Dujarric continued. “And that applies to anywhere in the world, including in this room”.

New-York based non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists(CPJ) has also been established to protect the interest of journalists across the world. The committee has also condemned Zubair’s arrest. “The arrest of journalist Mohammad Zubair marks another low for press freedom in India. Where the government has created a hostile and unsafe environment for members of the press. Reporting on sectarian issues”. Said Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator, in Washington, DC.

Delhi Police’s cybercrime unit is looking deep into the bank account transactions. And contacts of Mohammad Zubair concerning the case and further updates are still awaited.