Kashmiri journalist Fahad Shah released on bail after 21 months in prison

Kashmiri journalist Fahad Shah on Wednesday walked out of jail 21 months after he was arrested in February last year for allegedly glorifying terrorism through a “seditious” article on the now-defunct news website The Kashmir Walla, reported the Hindustan Times.

Shah, the editor-in-chief of the website, was first arrested on February 4 last year by the Pulwama Police and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The article, titled “The shackles of slavery will break”, was written by academician Abdul Aala Fazili and published on The Kashmir Walla in 2011. The State Investigation Agency of Jammu and Kashmir claimed it was a case of “narrative terrorism” and the article “intended to create unrest, and aid and abet the gullible youth to take the path of violence”.

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court granted bail to Shah on November 17 observing that the case against Shah was dug out by the authorities after 11 years. “From then till date, no evidence has been brought on record that the offending article was responsible for provoking persons to take to militancy…Not a single witness says this,” a bench comprising Justices Atul Sreedharan and Mohan Lal said.

Although bail was granted on November 17, Shah was released from Kot Balwal jail in Jammu on Wednesday after his lawyers completed the legal...

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