Wading into the controversy surrounding arrest of the prominent Muslim journalist and Co-founder of fact-checking website Alt News Mohammad Zubair, a Spokesperson for UN Chief Antonio Guterres has said that Journalists should not be jailed for what they write, tweet and say.
Last Monday, Delhi Police arrested Mohammad Zubair, accusing him of insulting religious beliefs on social media. He was arrested under two sections of the Indian Penal Code related to maintaining religious harmony.
In response to the arrest of Zubair at the daily news briefing, the UN Secretary-General’s Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric asserted that it is important that people be allowed to express themselves freely without the threat of any harassment.
“In any place around the world, it is very important that people be allowed to express themselves freely, journalists be allowed to express themselves freely and without the threat of any harassment,” Stephane Dujarric said.
“Journalists should not be jailed for what they write, what they tweet and what they say. And that goes for anywhere in the world, including in this room,” he said.
