Kashmiri journalist Asif Sultan released after 5 years of detention

Kashmiri journalist Asif Sultan, who was arrested for allegedly providing logistical support to terrorists in the state, has been released after five years of detention, officials said on Thursday.

Sultan was released in December 2023, two months after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court canceled his detention order under the Public Safety Act. The court had said that the officials “did not follow the procedural requirements in letter and spirit”.

Officials said Sultan’s release was delayed as authorities at the Ambedkar Nagar district jail in Uttar Pradesh were waiting for clearance letters from the Kashmir home department and the Srinagar district magistrate.