Was persecuted for my views: Israel diplomatic car bomb accused

On 7 March , a special cell of the Delhi police picked Syed Mohammad Ahmed Kazmi, from outside the India Islamic Cultural Centre, Delhi. At 9 am that morning, he had anchored a news bulletin for Doordarshan. On record, he was arrested at 8.30 pm. Later in the day, police confiscated his laptop, passport, driving license and car from his house in Jorbarh, South Delhi, where Kazmi resided with his wife and two sons. By the next morning, Kazmi had become news. Police declared him as an accused in the 13 February bomb blast case in which the wife of Israeli Defense Attache was injured. The Supreme Court granted bail to Kazmi, earlier this month. Firstpost caught up with Kazmi and talked to him about the arrest, whether there is a larger conspiracy to silence his views, and what he plans to do next. What was your first reaction when you were told that you were arrested in connection with the blast on the vehicle of Israel diplomat in Delhi? Initially, I did not understand what was happening. It was only when they took me to the special cell office at Lodi Road, they started talking to me about the case. I was totally shocked. Anyone having any kind of involvement in such incident will never remain at home. But I continued living in this very home which is in close proximity to the special cell. I traveled to Syria just six days before my arrest. I was working normally as any professional journalist would do. [caption id=“attachment_502296” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Kazmi taken to courts by police: AP[/caption] Describe the day of your arrest. It was a routine day. I give my voluntary services to the Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC). That day, a little after 1pm, I left IICC for my home which is a ten-minute drive. I took out my car from gate number 3 of the Centre. At the next traffic signal, they (special cell sleuths) overpowered me. Perhaps they were following me. You are one of the most renowned voices on Iran’s foreign policy and a frequent visitor to that country. During the course of your journalistic career, did you ever anticipate that your frequent visits to Iran or your coverage of its foreign policy could land you in trouble? Not at all! I used to express my honest analysis on every issue without any hesitation. That is because I believe in honesty and have faith in the almighty. I was not doing anything illegal or suspicious because of which I would feel scared or nervous. Maybe some powers that be, did not like my opinion. Perhaps the country known as superpower may not be happy with my views. I did not care about it at all. What do you think went against you? The so called ‘big powers’ do not like honest views to be spread out. They don’t like anyone opposing them. Perhaps that was the reason. I have written and spoken too much against their interests. You mean against the interest of the USA? USA, Israel. You know, how these countries function. The whole world knows about their character. Maybe lot of people do not dare to speak or write, but I did not hide my observations or analysis. The Supreme Court has granted you bail, but the final verdict is not out. Are you allowed to work as a journalist in this interim? My judgment is silent on me resuming work during the time I am out on bail. I wish to work again and very soon, but I will consult my lawyer before I take assignments. How did the police behave with you during seven months of incarceration? Being a sub- judice case, I cannot go into details at this stage. But I can tell you that what the police did was mental torture rather than physical torture. For example, there used tactics to delay my trial. It was a very different experience. Something I never faced before. It exposed me to a lot of issues. During your stay in prison, was there a phase when you lost hope of your release? Never. I was sure based on their claims, they would not be able to give me capital punishment. It means I had to spend sometime in jail and ultimately the truth would prevail. But I would be lying if I say I was jolly inside the prison. It was a very difficult phase. Nothing was certain. That uncertainty can kill you. What did you learn from this experience? I learnt that at times you have to pay the price for your honesty. If you are honest there will always be people who will not be happy with you. But being a journalist you have got to express your views in a truthful manner and you cannot make everyone happy.