Indian Authorities Arrest Contributor to The Kashmir Walla over 2011 Article

Abdul Aala Fazili, a contributor to the Kashmir Walla news portal, was arrested on Sunday, April 17, by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) in relation to a November 2011 opinion piece. Additionally, the SIA and police in Kashmir raided The Kashmir Walla office as well as the residences of Fahad Shah, who was arrested in March, and Fazili, seizing electronic devices, including laptops.

According to the Indian Express, the SIA alleged that Fazili's 2011 opinion piece supporting Kashmir's separation from the Indian state was "extremely provocative, seditious and intended to create unrest" and written to promote "the false narrative that aims to sustain a secessionist/terrorist campaign aimed at breaking the territorial integrity of India." The SIA did not indicate why it was taking action now. The Kashmir Walla reports that Fazili is a former contributor and is currently a research scholar at the Kashmir University.

The Kashmir Walla reported on April 17 that the SIA and Kashmir police searched Shah's home and office for three hours. Several computers, hard drives, and CDs were seized, the outlet reported. Officials seized the laptops of two reporters, a computer from the multimedia department, and six hard drives. Furthermore, two reporters who were present in the office during the raid had their reporting notebooks and phones searched.

According to The Kashmir Walla, the SIA accused Fazili of violating four sections of the Indian penal code, including criminal conspiracy, waging or attempting to wage war against the government of India, sedition, and assertions prejudicial to national integration, as well as two sections of the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for unlawful activities and terrorism.

Fazili may be sentenced to up to seven years in prison under the UAPA. If he is found to have violated the four sections of the penal code, he will be sentenced to life in prison.

Shah is presently in preventive custody at the Kupwara District Jail after being granted bail in two investigations in which he was accused of violating the UAPA and other Indian laws.