(RSF/IFEX) – On 9 September 2002, RSF denounced India’s formal accusation of “military espionage” against journalist Iftikhar Gilani. Gilani is the New Delhi bureau chief for the “Kashmir Times” and a correspondent for the Pakistani daily “The Nation”. “The charge of spying for a foreign power is a big favourite of governments trying to silence […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On 9 September 2002, RSF denounced India’s formal accusation of “military espionage” against journalist Iftikhar Gilani. Gilani is the New Delhi bureau chief for the “Kashmir Times” and a correspondent for the Pakistani daily “The Nation”.
“The charge of spying for a foreign power is a big favourite of governments trying to silence or intimidate journalists who are critical,” said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard in a letter to Indian Interior Minister and Vice Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani. “This charge is not based on anything concrete,” he said, demanding that Gilani be freed at once and the charges against him dropped. The Kashmiri-born Gilani has been in prison for the past three months.
On 7 September, New Delhi police charged the journalist with espionage for handing over documents to Pakistan that contained information about the position of Indian soldiers and paramilitary forces in the disputed territory of Kashmir.
The charges brought before Judge Sangeeta Dhingra Sehgal were based on several articles of the Official Secrets Act and Article 120-B (pertaining to criminal conspiracy) and Article 292 (pertaining to pornography) of the Criminal Code.
Police claim Gilani confessed that the documents found in his apartment were destined for Pakistan. The charges came two days before the expiry of the 90-day limit for Gilani to be held without charges. The court set a bail hearing for 16 September.
After accusing Gilani of financial irregularities, espionage and involvement in pornography, police said they found a document on his computer about the fighting in Kashmir that had been downloaded from the Internet. The document is available to all Internet users. However, the judge handling the case said she “had not had the time to consult the website.”
Gilani, who is being held in Tihar prison, says he is innocent and recently told RSF he is “very depressed.” At the start of his imprisonment, he was beaten by other inmates. Moreover, he has been refused access to the prison library.
