Press Club of India demands immediate release of journalist Irfan Mehraj

New Delhi: The Press Club of India on Tuesday demanded the immediate release of journalist Irfan Mehraj, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency in connection with a terror funding case.

"We vehemently oppose the imposing of UAPA on mediapersons. The misuse of this draconian law by NIA (National Investigation Agency) in randomly arresting Irfan Mehraj, a journalist from Kashmir, ominously points towards a violation of freedom of speech and expression. We demand his immediate release," the Press Club of India said on Twitter.

We vehemently oppose the imposing of UAPA on mediapersons. The misuse of this draconian law by NIA in randomly arresting Irfan Mehraj, a journalist from Kashmir ominously points towards a violation of freedom of speech and expression. We demand his immediate release pic.twitter.com/Vy2XEVQWEO

— Press Club of India (@PCITweets) March 21, 2023

The NIA said Mehraj was a close associate of human rights activist Khurram Parvez and working with his organisation, the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS).

The agency alleged that investigations revealed the JKCCS was funding terror activities and had also been propagating a secessionist agenda in the Kashmir Valley under the garb of protection of human rights.