Case Update Status

Hasan Ali was arrested during the coverage and he was later released after four long hours of detention.

Summary of Case

"On May 9, 2023, Hassan Ali, a correspondent for the international magazine ""The Nation,"" was subjected to physical assault and subsequently arrested by the Islamabad police near General Headquarters in Saddar, Islamabad while covering a protest following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan. Recalling the incident in an interview with PPF (Pakistan Press Foundation), Hassan Ali stated that the police officials not only arrested him but forcibly abducted him and subjected him to physical abuse during his coverage in Islamabad. ""I cannot say they arrested me; they abducted me without giving me an opportunity to show them my press card. Despite repeatedly stating that I am a journalist and was there to cover the protests by PTI supporters following Imran Khan's arrest, they forcefully grabbed and assaulted me, tore my clothes, and took me to the nearby RA Bazar police station. They also confiscated my mobile phones. As a journalist working for an international magazine, I always kept a spare phone hidden in my sock, which allowed me to contact my family. After a lengthy verification process, the police released me after detaining me for four hours,"" Hassan explained. ""The next morning, I contacted Iman Mazari and informed her about the situation. I also expressed that the police were arresting individuals who had not violated the city's peace. It was the first time I experienced such an incident in my journalistic career, and it was a horrifying experience. I was deeply traumatized by the behavior of the police officials,"" Ali further shared. Hassan Ali mentioned that most of his colleagues and department heads are based in New York, so he informed them about the incident, and they reached out to organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and others to address the matter. The Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists and the National Press Club are currently unaware of Hassan Ali's arrest. CPJ has also reported on his arrest."

Category of Incident

Arrest

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: 0803-Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Group: 08039-Other acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Class: N/A

ICCS Crime: Acts against liberty

Reported By

The Nation

Date of incident

9

Month

May

Year

2023

Name of affected person

Hasan Ali

Other affected persons

Not other person affected

Name of affected organization

The Nation

Other affected organizations

No other organization was affected

Action by

By the Rawalpindi police officials

City

Rawalpindi

Province

Punjab

Designation

Reporter

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

35

Marital Status

Compensation Details

Amount of compensation announced by government: No compensation announced

Date of compensation announcement by government: No compensation announced

Date of compensation paid by government: No compensation announced

Amount of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced

Date of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced

Date compensation paid by others: No compensation announced

FIR Details

Was FIR registered ?: No

Court Details

Was case investigated ?: No

Court where case was presented: Case is not in any court

Name of prosecuting lawyer: Case is not in any court

Date of first court hearing:

Date of last court hearing:

Status of court case: Case is not in any court

Journalist Union Status

PFUJ

Not required to contact

APNS

CPNE

PBA

Media Source Status

Media reports:

Condemn Status

Colleague of victim

Not required to contact

Employer organization

Not required to contact

Press Club Status

Press club 1: Not required to contact

Press club 2:

Press club 3: