HRF calls for the unconditional release of Indian human rights activist Umar Khalid

NEW YORK (Sept. 13, 2024) — On the fourth anniversary of his arrest and at the beginning of his highly anticipated trial, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) calls on the Indian government to immediately release activist Umar Khalid from his excessively long and arbitrary pretrial detention.

Khalid was arrested on Sept. 13, 2020, for advocating for the rights of India’s minorities and marginalized communities and for criticizing the authoritarian actions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ever since, Khalid has been languishing in prison, awaiting a trial that has been repeatedly postponed and that is based on thousands of pages of fabricated evidence.

For speaking up, Khalid is being falsely accused of terrorism, sedition, and promoting religious enmity, amongst other charges. The Indian government has weaponized the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against him — a vague law frequently used as a tool to silence dissent in the country.

“Umar’s four-year imprisonment lacks any legal basis. It relies on a fabricated conspiracy case with the so-called ’evidence’ including using the word ‘revolution’ in a peaceful speech and being a silent member of WhatsApp group chats,” HRF legal and research officer Hannah Van Dijcke said.

HRF is preparing to submit a petition to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) on Khalid’s behalf. The petition will request that the UNWGAD declare Khalid’s detention arbitrary under international law and urge the Indian government  to release him and all others unjustly held for exercising their right to free speech.