The Quint has shared that PRIO<\/a> from Norway had shortlisted Mohammed Zubair, Harsh Mander, and Pratik Sinha for the Nobel Peace Prize.\u00a0 The co-founders Zubair and Sinha when recently named by Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) in its yearly shortlist for the Nobel Peace Prize, brought India pride, though not for all political powers!<\/p>\n The PRIO, in one of its statements, commented, \u201cOther worthy candidates for a prize focused on combating religious extremism and intolerance in India are Mohammed Zubair and Pratik Sinha, the co-founders of Alt News, a fact-checking site making significant contributions to debunking misinformation aimed at vilifying Muslims in India.\u201d<\/p>\n It is relevant to note that the Nobel Peace Prize is given every year since 1901 by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The prize is awarded only to those persons or organizations who facilitate peace through their efforts and actions. The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes along with the Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine and Literature.<\/p>\n While Zubair<\/a> is arrested for “inciting hatred,” the United Nations in regard to the arrest of Mohammed Zubair reacted and said journalists shouldn\u2019t be jailed for what they write or say. Journalists anywhere in the world should be allowed to express themselves freely and without the threat of harassment, a spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday in response to a question about the arrest of Alt News cofounder Mohammed Zubair.<\/p>\n Alt News has compiled a list of more than 40 \u201cfake news sources\u201d on social media, most of which uphold right-wing views. The Alt News team has authored a book titled “India Misinformed: The True Story\u201d, which was published by HarperCollins and released in March 2019.<\/p>\n The arrest of journalist and fact-checker Mohammad Zubair has sparked rage across India and several Media outlets are reacting fiercely calling it the death of democracy, with reactions reverberating across the globe as well.<\/p>\n Mohammad Zubair is the co-founder of fact-checking website AltNews, which he started along with former software engineer Pratik Sinha in 2017 to combat the rising menace of fake news.\u00a0 Since\u00a0 Alt New’s birth, they have cracked down on fake news and played a key role in busting communal, casteist, and unscientific claims exposed the hundreds of fake news videos and WhatsApp forwards that were especially targeting minorities in India and against the policies of the current government that muffle the freedom of press and stifle freedom of speech and expression. Its founders often face online trolling and threats by right-wing groups, some handles are linked to the BJP.<\/p>\n Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Monday arrested Zubair on charges of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and deliberate acts to outrage religious feelings of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He was sent to four days of custody on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Zubair was arrested in connection with a tweet that had a questionable image with the purpose of deliberately insulting the god of a particular religion. The tweet apparently showed an image of a hotel signboard repainted from \u201cHoneymoon Hotel\u201d to \u201cHanuman Hotel\u201d. The image is a screenshot from the 1983 Hrishikesh Mukherjee Bollywood classic ‘Kissi Se Na Kehna’. the film was cleared by the Censor Board at the time. In the tweet, Zubair had written, “Before 2014: Honeymoon Hotel, After 2014: Hanuman Hotel”, in an apparent jab at the BJP government that came into power in 2014.<\/p>\n As per reports, the complainant is a Twitter user who goes by the name “Hanuman Bhakt” on the microblogging site with an image of Lord Hanuman as his profile photo. The Indian Express reported that the handle had 400 followers on the night of Zubair’s arrest.<\/p>\n As per the Delhi Police\u2019s First Information Report (FIR), the tweet by Zubair was “highly provocative and more than sufficient to incite a feeling of hatred” among people.”<\/p>\n Zubair\u2019s arrest comes two days after lawyer and human rights activist Teesta Setalvad was arrested by the Gujarat state police\u2019s anti-terrorism wing.<\/p>\n The Press Club of India condemned the arrest. It emphasized how the arrest was against the “2022 Resilient Democracies” at the G7 Summit just yesterday in Germany “which reiterated the commitment to guarding the freedom, independence, and diversity of civil society actors and protecting the freedom of expressing opinions both online and offline”.<\/p>\n India\u2019s rank fell eight places to 150 among 180 countries in this year\u2019s Press Freedom Index published by watchdog group Reporters Without Borders.<\/p>\n A 2021 report by the Committee to Protect Journalists revealed that India \u201chas the highest number of journalists \u2013four\u2013 confirmed to have been murdered in retaliation for their work\u201d. It also noted that six journalists in India were detained on \u201canti-state\u201d charges, as reported by Newslaundry. These include Aasif Sultan, Siddique Kappan, Anand Teltumbe, Gautam Navlakha, Manan Dar, and Rajeev Sharma. The report lists journalist Tanveer Warsi as detained under \u201cretaliatory\u201d charges.<\/p>\n \u201cIndian journalists who are too critical of the government are subjected to all-out harassment and attack campaigns,\u201d it noted in its 2022 edition, adding that reporters were regularly exposed to police violence and increasing reprisals from officials.<\/p>\n Setalvad was arrested on Saturday for allegedly \u201ccommitting forgery and fabricating evidence\u201d in a case about the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat, has denied the charges against him, and has been cleared of complicity after government investigators and courts ruled there is no evidence against him.<\/p>\n The arrest has been criticized by several activists, journalists, Opposition leaders as well press bodies as a “disturbing” act and an onslaught on press freedom. The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday termed the arrest as “extremely disturbing” and demanded his immediate release.<\/p>\n Alt News Co-Founder @zoo_bear<\/a> is been nominated for Noble Peace Prize and he has been arrested for fraudulent charge of creating religious enmity. This is India under Hindutva rule. This is clear Undeclared Emergency.#IStandWithZubair<\/a><\/p>\n — Prashant Kanojia (@PJkanojia) June 27, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nHistory of Alt News<\/h3>\n
Why Was Zubair Arrested?<\/h3>\n
Freedom of Press is Falling<\/h3>\n
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