Authors
Claim
Muslim youth participating in Muharram procession attacked and run over by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
Link to the post here
Fact
On researching whether there were curbs on Muharram procession in Srinagar, we found several reports that revealed that police have arrested many youths for defying government orders, as authorities have banned Muharram processions in Srinagar since 1989 over security reasons.
Newschecker further conducted a Google search using the keywords ‘Muharram” “run over” & “Srinagar” and found several Pakistan based twitter handles who shared video of a youth being run over by a vehicle belonging to the security forces.
Link to the video here and here
Pakistan based news website Express Tribune also carried the same video of youth on its website claiming it to be from the recent crackdown on Muharram procession in Jammu and Kashmir.
On further research, we found the same video posted on community discussion forum Reddit on August 17, 2021.
Taking cue, Newschecker probed further, and found an image published on the website of Getty Images which had the same frame as the viral video.
“An Indian police vehicle running over a Shia mourner, during the procession. Government forces resorted to pellet firing, heavy tear gas shelling, baton charge and aerial firing against Shia Muslims as they defied restrictions amid pro-freedom sloganeering to take out the 8th Muharram procession in Srinagar,” the caption read. The image was dated: August 17, 2021 and was clicked by one Idrees Abass, a Srinagar based photographer.
Newschecker reached out to Idrees, who confirmed that the incident took place last year during Muharram in Srinagar and that he was the one who clicked it.
Conclusion
We conclude that while there was a ban on Muharram procession in Srinagar, the viral video of youth shared on twitter and carried by Pakistan based news websites is old.
Result: False
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