CPJ urges govt to 'immediately, unconditionally' release journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Pakistani authorities to 'immediately and unconditionally' release journalist Jameel Farooqui and 'cease harassing him' and journalist Ilyas Samoo for their work. 

“Pakistan authorities must end their campaign of harassment and intimidation of journalists in retaliation for their work,” said Carlos Martinez de la Serna, CPJ’s program director. “Authorities should swiftly and unconditionally release journalist Jameel Farooqui, cease harassing him and journalist Ilyas Samoo, and allow them to continue their work without interference.”

Read: Journalist arrested in Karachi over 'false' allegations against Islamabad police

On Monday, authorities arrested Farooqui from Karachi airport. He is an anchor associated with the privately owned broadcaster host of a YouTube channel with about 120,000 subscribers.

On August 19, police in Thatta district arrested Samoo, a reporter for the privately owned daily newspaper and president of the local Bandar Press Club, according to statements by two local press freedom groups and Latafullah Samoo, the journalist’s brother, who spoke to CPJ by phone.

His brother, Latafullah Samoo, said on Tuesday that a court had granted his brother's bail earlier in the day and had been released.

The CJP statement said that according to a copy of the report, Samoo was arrested in an illegal weapon case. His brother claimed, while talking to the CJP, that "he believed authorities had targeted Samoo in retaliation for his reporting on flood-affected areas in the Thatta district and said that, shortly before his brother’s arrest, the journalist had received a threatening call and text message warning him to stop that reporting".

Farooqui was arrested after posting a video on his YouTube channel on the Shahbaz Gill torture claims. 

The body noted that the "Islamabad and Sindh police departments did not respond to CPJ’s emailed requests for comment".