Srinagar, Kashmiri journalist Asif Sultan, who had been detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA), was re-arrested in Srinagar, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), shortly after his release. This move underscores ongoing concerns regarding press freedom and human rights in the region.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Sultan, initially arrested in 2018 on charges of ‘harboring militants’, had been incarcerated in Ambedkar Nagar district jail in Uttar Pradesh. His detention under PSA was quashed by the IIOJK High Court on December 11, last year, for not adhering to procedural requirements. Despite the court’s order, Sultan remained in jail for nearly three months awaiting clearances from the IIOJK administration and was only released this past Wednesday.

Sultan’s work as a journalist, particularly a story on the martyred youth leader Burhan Wani for the now-closed monthly magazine ‘Kashmir Narrator’, has been cited as a significant factor leading to his arrest. His detention and the subsequent legal battles highlight the fraught situation for journalists in Kashmir, where reporting on sensitive issues often results in severe repercussions.

The re-arrest of Sultan came as a shock to his family, who had just begun to reunite with him after years of separation. His daughter, now six years old, hardly recognizes him, underscoring the personal toll of his prolonged detention.

International bodies, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have repeatedly called for Sultan’s release, recognizing his journalistic work with the annual John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award in 2019 by the National Press Club of America. His re-arrest raises further alarm among human rights and press freedom advocates worldwide, calling into question the commitment to freedom of expression in IIOJK.