Fact-checker duo Mohammed Zubair, Pratik Sinha among contenders for Nobel: Report
In June 2022, Zubair was arrested in connection with a tweet he made in 2018, charged for 'deliberate acts to outrage religious sentiments'
News Delhi: Fact-check site AltNews’ co-founders Mohammed Zubair and Pratik Sinha are on the list of contenders to win the Nobel Peace Prize 2022, stated a report by Time.
The report says that the fact-checker duo emerged as contenders to nab the peace prize based on the nominations that were revealed by Norwegian lawmakers, bookmakers’ predictions, and picks from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).
This year in June, Zubair was arrested in connection with a tweet he made in 2018 that the Delhi Police’s First Information Report (FIR) says was ‘highly provocative and more than sufficient to incite feelings of hatred’.
He was charged for his ‘deliberate acts to outrage religious sentiments’ and promoting enmity on religious grounds.
The arrest had initiated global criticism, with the American non-profit Committee To Protect Journalists issuing a statement that said, “another low for press freedom in India, where the government has created a hostile and unsafe environment for members of the press reporting on sectarian issues”.
However, Zubair was later released on bail post it was granted by the Supreme Court a month after his arrest.
The report further consists that there are nearly 343 candidates including 251 individuals and 92 organizations, contending for the Nobel Peace Prize this year.