IMPHAL, Jan 6: The Hong Kong based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has issued a world wide urgent appeal regarding the arbitrary arrest and detention of the editor of Sanaleibak Daily, Ahongsangbam Mobi who is also the vice-president cum spokesperson of All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU).
The AHRC has also written a letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression calling for an invention in the case.
The appeal of the AHRC said that it has received information from a local human rights organization based in Manipur, the Human Rights Alert (HRA), concerning the case of a journalist who has been detained by the state police in an alleged attempt to silence the local media in the state. The Manipur State Police Commando Unit arrested Ahongsangbam Mobi December 29, 2010 on the allegation that he is working for the secessionist elements operating in the state. Mobi has denied the police case and has accused the police that they are trying to implicate him in a fabricated case as he was not willing to pay heed to the demands of either the government or the police. The All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) supports Mobi’s contention. The AMWJU observed a six-day protest by refraining from reporting news in the state. Mobi is the editor of vernacular daily Sanaleibak. The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal released Mobi on bail yesterday.
The AHRC will also write letters to the concerned Indian authorities including Union Home Minister, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister and Chief Minister urging them to initiate investigations regarding the arbitrary arrest and detention of A. Mobi.
Further, the AHRC has appealed to the people to support the case of A. Mobi by logging on to the link http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2010/3621/.
