Amnesty International urges safe return of journalist Ahmad Noorani’s brothers

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published March 20, 2025 at 02:30 pm |  JP Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Amnesty International has called for the immediate and safe return of journalist Ahmad Noorani’s two brothers, who unidentified individuals forcibly took away on Wednesday.

In a strong-worded statement, Amnesty International condemned the abduction, stating that "the enforced disappearance of his two brothers is a sign of relentless repression of dissent." The organization further criticized the targeting of family members due to the critical work of a journalist based abroad, calling it a "brazen attack on the right to freedom of expression."

The abduction comes just days after a case was registered against Noorani under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) on charges of cyberterrorism and spreading false information allegedly aimed at defaming state institutions.

Amnesty International urged the Pakistani government to conduct an immediate and transparent investigation into the disappearance. "Pakistan must immediately stop the repeated attacks and intimidation of journalists, activists, opposition parties, and their family members," the statement emphasized.

ایمنسٹی انٹرنیشنل کا احمد نورانی کے بھائیوں کی بازیابی کا مطالبہ

اسلام آباد—ایمنسٹی انٹرنیشنل نے معروف صحافی احمد نورانی کے دو بھائیوں کی فوری اور محفوظ بازیابی کا مطالبہ کیا ہے، جنہیں بدھ کے روز نامعلوم افراد زبردستی اپنے ساتھ لے گئے تھے۔

ایمنسٹی انٹرنیشنل نے اس جبری گمشدگی کی سخت مذمت کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ "ان کے دو بھائیوں کی جبری گمشدگی اختلاف رائے کو دبانے کی مسلسل کوششوں کا مظہر ہے۔" تنظیم نے مزید کہا کہ بیرون ملک مقیم ایک صحافی کے تنقیدی کام کے باعث اس کے اہلخانہ کو نشانہ بنانا "آزادی اظہار پر کھلی جارحیت" کے مترادف ہے۔

یہ واقعہ اس وقت پیش آیا جب احمد نورانی کے خلاف پریوینشن آف الیکٹرانک کرائمز ایکٹ کے تحت سائبر دہشت گردی اور ریاستی اداروں کو بدنام کرنے کے الزامات میں مقدمہ درج کیا گیا تھا۔

ایمنسٹی انٹرنیشنل نے پاکستانی حکومت سے مطالبہ کیا کہ وہ اس جبری گمشدگی کی فوری اور شفاف تحقیقات کرے۔ تنظیم نے اپنے بیان میں کہا کہ "پاکستان کو صحافیوں، کارکنوں، اپوزیشن جماعتوں اور ان کے اہلخانہ کے خلاف مسلسل حملے اور دھمکیاں فوری طور پر بند کرنی چاہئیں۔

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