Reacting strongly to Germany’s concerns over the arrest of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, India on Thursday said that it is an “internal matter”, the law is taking its own course and such comments are “unhelpful.”
“This is our internal matter. The matter is before the court. Our legal system is independent. Any comment on it is unhelpful. It’s not right,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
On Thursday, the German Foreign ministry spokesperson said that its embassy in Delhi is “monitoring the situation very closely.”
“Free reporting is beneficial to any society and restrictions are a cause for concern. Journalists should not be persecuted and imprisoned for what they say and write. We are indeed aware of this specific case and our embassy in New Delhi is monitoring it very closely,” the spokesperson had said.
“India describes itself as the world’s largest democracy. So one can expect democratic values like freedom of expression and of the press to be given the necessary space there,” he further added.
The Supreme Court is slated to hear Zubair’s plea of quashing the FIR against him based on a complaint in Uttar Pradesh’ Sitapur district alleging that he had hurt religious sentiments.
A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari on Thursday directed the matter to be listed before the top court, “subject to assignment” by the Chief Justice of India.
“Let the matter be listed on July 8, 2022, before the appropriate Bench subject to assignment,” the bench ordered.
Arguing before the apex court, Zubair’s counsel Colin Gonsalves said that following the rejection of the anticipatory bail plea by the Allahabad High Court, the journalist was arrest. Gonsalves further stated that Zubair, being a fact-checker, was merely performing his duty.
“A look at the FIR shows that there is no crime but there is a threat to his life as people out there are threatening him,” he said while requesting for an urgent hearing before the SC.
An FIR was filed against Zubair in after he was charged with IPC section 295A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings) and section 67 of the IT Act based on a complaint by Hindu Sher Sena Sitapur district president Bhagwan Sharan on June 1. Subsequently, Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police on June 27.
The Delhi Police have level new sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Zubair including 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (destruction of evidence) and section 35 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.