September 11, 2002	Wednesday	Rajab 3, 1423

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PARIS, Sept 10: The Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), an international organization working for journalists’ rights, has decided to protest against the Indian accusation that Kashmiri journalist Iftikhar Gilani was a spy working on behalf of Pakistan.

Indian authorities filed a charge-sheet on Sept 7 against Mr Gilani, who is New Delhi bureau chief for the Kashmir Times and has already spent three months in jail.

The charges came two days before expiry of the 90-day limit for the Kashmiri journalist to be held without charges. He was also charged by India with “involvement in pornography,” says the RSF.

In a letter of denunciation to Indian Interior Minister Lal Krishna Advani, made public on Tuesday, RSF Secretary-General Robert Menard noted that “the charge of spying for a foreign power is a big favourite of governments like India trying to silence or intimidate journalists who dare to criticise their activities.” He said: “This charge is not based on anything concrete.”

The RSF is demanding that Mr Gilani, who is also a correspondent of a Pakistani daily, be freed at once and that charges against him be dropped.