The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called the Lahore High Court’s issuance of a non-bailable arrest warrant for journalist Cyril Almeida a “regrettable” decision in a statement released Tuesday.
LHC’s requiring Almeida to appear at the next hearing of a case seeking action against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on charges of treason.
“Mr Almeida, a widely read and highly respected journalist, is being hounded for nothing more than doing his job – speaking on the record to a political figure and reporting the facts,” the statement said. “As a law-abiding citizen, Mr Almeida has no reason not to appear before the court as directed.”
Placing Almeida on the Exit Control List as well is an “excessive measure,” the statement said.
“The ease with which Mr Almeida’s interview with the former Prime Minister was perceived as an attempt to allegedly defame state institutions, and the pace at which this has spiraled into charges of treason, only serve to further choke press freedom in Pakistan. Journalism – sensible, rational, independent journalism – is not a crime. It most certainly is not treason. HRCP strongly urges the honorable court to give Mr Almeida the opportunity to appear at the scheduled hearing of his own volition and to have his name removed from the ECL immediately,” the statement said.