Kashmiri journalist Aasif Sultan kept in jail for more than 1,000 days

The 34-year-old is held under stringent UAPA and other charges, but family and lawyer say he was targeted for his work.

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir – This month, Aasif Sultan, a journalist from Indian-administered Kashmir, completed 1,000 days in prison since his arrest in August 2018 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA, a stringent anti-terror law. Sultan, 34, who worked as an assistant editor for a Srinagar-based English magazine, is accused of “harbouring known militants”, an allegation he denies. He has also been charged with murder, attempt to murder and other crimes. But Sultan’s family and the editor of Kashmir Narrator, the magazine he worked for, deny the accusations, saying he was arrested for his journalistic work, particularly for a story titled The Rise of Burhan, which he wrote for his magazine in July 2018.