India: Journalist Siddique Kappan Released

Facts

• On Thursday, Indian journalist Siddique Kappan was released from prison after serving over two years on alleged money laundering and terror charges.
• Kappan, who was arrested in Oct. 2020 in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh while on his way to cover a high-profile sexual assault case, was held for 28 months without trial.
• He and three others were accused of belonging to an Islamist terrorist group and ultimately charged with conspiracy to incite violence.
• In Sept. 2022, India's Supreme Court granted Kappan bail in the case Uttar Pradesh police filed against him under the tough anti-terror law [the "Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act"]. He was not released as a money laundering case remained pending.
• Kappan, who was granted bail and finally walked free from a UP prison, said his delayed release was "half-baked justice," and that, "Journalism is not a crime."
• In 2022, India dropped eight places and was ranked 150 on the 180-country World Press Freedom Index, according to Reporters Without Borders.

Sources: Al Jazeera, The Times of India, VOA, NDTV, and BBC News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Indian Express. Siddique Kappan was unjustly imprisoned for performing his journalistic duties. The police tried everything in their power to punish Kappan for doing his job as a journalist accusing him of sedition and terrorism and then keeping him detained on money laundering charges. Kappan’s Muslim faith was targeted and likely played a role in his arrest.
• Narrative B, as provided by OpIndia. Siddique Kappan was arrested on serious charges of attempting to create caste-based conflict and had ties to the now-banned Islamist group Popular Front of India. Kappan was arrested because authorities had reasonable grounds to suspect him of engaging in illegal activity. It is illogical to connect his faith and his crime.