Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair interview | ‘I feel like I was set an example to others’

journalistMohd Zubair, Co-Founder Alt News fact check portalBack home and then attending his cousin’s wedding in Bengaluru 23-day stay in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh jails and in police custodyIn a matter of one week, several First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered against him. he talked Hindu KV Aditya Bhardwaj.

Edited excerpt:

What do you think is the reason for your arrest?

I really anticipated my arrest. Prateek Sinha and I at Alt News, for our work, always thought that we could be arrested anytime. But after the video clip of Comment of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma In a televised debate that I posted on Twitter went viral and sparked a diplomatic issue internationally, I knew it was coming. He didn’t even hide it. My arrest took Twitter by storm and the trending hashtag calls for my arrest, blaming Messenger for what happened in the country.

editorial | Welcome relief: Mohammad Zubair on bail

What was going through your mind during your stay in police custody and jails?

I was with several police forces, and the prison authorities treated me with respect. But the cases they were registering against me scared me. I was expecting bail after I was sent to Tihar Jail in Delhi case. But in just a week it turned seven FIR registered against me in Uttar Pradesh And a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to investigate them. Knowing how the UP Police SIT had worked before, I lost hope and was preparing for a longer stay in jail, perhaps a year or two. I was afraid that I was being implicated in some big conspiracy case. That’s why the Supreme Court’s decision was overwhelming and I think it’s a landmark judgment protecting the liberties of the people targeted by the regime.

Why do you think you were targeted?

This government wants to silence all voices of protest and all of them through fact checking, journalism and other such means, especially if they consider you their critic. The role of my religion played no small role in this, I believe.

I think I was made an example to others. The message was that the government can register 10-15 random FIRs in many states and keep you in jail for years if it wants, but in my case to the Supreme Court. The FIRs registered against me are so random and bizarre – two FIRs in Uttar Pradesh one for fact-checking a media channel – which is my job, and the other for calling an accused in a hate speech case in a tweet Is.

When are you coming back to work?

I have handed over my mobile phone and SIM card to the police. I’m waiting to buy a new phone and get a new SIM card and the first thing I’ll come back to is Twitter, calling out hate speech and fact-checking false claims. This is the only way to fight it. I hope no one else bows down and continues the good work. I will be back on Alt News in a week.