International human rights organizations have strongly condemned the filing of a fresh FIR against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, calling it an attack on free expression. The groups urged the Union government to immediately withdraw the charges and uphold fundamental rights. They emphasized the critical role of independent journalism in a democracy and called for stronger protections for freedom of speech and press in India.
International human rights organizations united to support Mohammed Zubair, fact-checker and co-founder of Alt News, who faces criminal charges from the Ghaziabad police over a social media post sharing a clip of a provocative speech by controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand.
According to a letter issued by 11 human rights groups including Index on Censorship, PEN International, Digital Rights Foundation, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), International Press Institute (IPI), Electronic Frontier Foundation, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Committee to Protect Journalists, and IFEX.
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Zubair has been consistently targeted by Indian authorities for his journalism and fact-checking efforts.
The letter states,
“On 27 November 2024, it was publicly announced that the Ghaziabad police had filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Mohammed Zubair… based on legal provisions including Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).”
Zubair, known for his dedication to media freedom, has faced multiple legal challenges related to his social media activity.
The letter notes,
“In June 2022, he was arrested by the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh police for a tweet related to comments made by a BJP spokesperson on national TV and another satirical tweet posted in 2018.”
The letter highlights that Zubair has been charged in various cases for “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.” and for “deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.”
It further explains that whenever he was granted bail in one case, a new would be filed, resulting in a cycle of arrests.
The letter states,
“Ultimately, six were lodged against Zubair, ensnaring him in a 24-day cycle of arrest, bail, and re-arrest,”
The organizations are calling for the latest FIR against Zubair to be withdrawn immediately and for the Union government to uphold free expression rights.
Earlier this year, Yati Narsinghanand made headlines for incendiary comments about Prophet Muhammad, inciting people to burn effigies at an event in Ghaziabad. Following the viral spread of videos showing his derogatory remarks, protests erupted in Uttar Pradesh demanding action against him.
The complaint against Zubair filed by Udita Tyagi, general secretary of the Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Foundation, who alleged that Zubair shared an old clip to provoke violence against Narsinghanand. Consequently, the police charged Zubair under various sections of the BNS, including those related to promoting enmity between groups, defamation, and criminal intimidation.
Zubair has challenged the FIR through a writ petition in the Allahabad High Court, seeking protection from coercive actions.
On September 29, Narsinghanand, who has faced previous charges for hate speech, allegedly made derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad during a public speech. Zubair responded on X, labeling the speech as “derogatory and hateful.”
In the aftermath, multiple FIRs filed against Narsinghanand across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana for inciting communal hatred. His aides claimed he was taken away by police, although the Ghaziabad Police denied this.
Protests erupted at the Dasna Devi Temple following these events. The FIR against Zubair initiated by Udita Tyagi, General Secretary of the Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Foundation, who accused Zubair of inciting violence by sharing an old video of Narsinghanand.
Tyagi’s complaint also implicated Zubair, Arshad Madani, and Asaduddin Owaisi for the violent protests at Dasna Devi Mandi. The Ghaziabad Police subsequently charged Zubair under several sections of the BNS, including Sections 196 (promoting enmity on religious grounds), 228 (fabricating false evidence), 299 (outraging religious feelings), 356(3) (defamation), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation). The charge under Section 152 was added later.
In his plea to the High Court, Zubair contended that his tweet aimed to highlight Narsinghanand’s recurring communal remarks and derogatory comments about women and politicians.
He described the FIR against him as a “malicious attempt” to hinder his efforts to expose Narsinghanand’s alleged criminal activities.