A Kerala court has granted bail to Aslah Kayyalakkath, editor of online news platform Maktoob Media, in a suo motu case registered by the Kerala Police over a news report critical of the force’s handling of a blast investigation and alleged anti-Muslim bias.
Kayyalakkath said he was granted bail by the Vadakara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court. Calling the case a misuse of law, he said the FIR was filed simply for doing journalism and for publishing quotes.
“An FIR for journalism. An FIR for a quote. An FIR against a reporter, an editor, and a lawyer,” Kayyalakkath said in a post on X, adding that they would continue to fight the case until it is quashed.
The case is linked to a report published by Maktoob Media on November 14, 2023, which documented allegations of arbitrary detention of Muslim youth following the Kalamaseny blast in Kozhikode district. The blast, which took place on October 23, killed five people. Later, a person named Dominik Martin confessed to carrying out the attack.
The report included the voices of Muslim men who were detained, activists, lawyers, and even senior police officers. It highlighted criticism of the police for allegedly detaining Muslim youth without evidence during the investigation.
Despite this, the Kerala Police registered an FIR not only against Rejaz, the freelance journalist who reported the story, but also against Kayyalakkath as the editor and advocate Ameen Hassan, a Muslim lawyer who was quoted in the report.
Kayyalakkath said his mother stood as surety in court, an experience he described as emotional and strengthening. “Walking into court with the woman who taught me that speaking the truth is a basic moral duty was deeply moving,” he said.
Earlier, on National Press Day, November 16, 2023, the editor of Maktoob Media was summoned and questioned by the Kerala Police in connection with the same report. A case was also registered against the freelance journalist, accusing him of provoking a riot.
Reiterating his stand, Kayyalakkath said, “Journalism is not a crime.”
