NEW YORK (Jan. 5, 2026) – The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) condemns today’s decision by the Indian Supreme Court denying bail to activist Umar Khalid, who has been detained for over five years without trial or conviction. HRF submitted an individual complaint to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) and urges the working group to deem Khalid’s detention arbitrary and in violation of international law.
Khalid has been detained in Delhi’s notorious Tihar jail for over five years, awaiting a trial that has been repeatedly postponed. He advocates for the rights of India’s minorities and marginalized communities and is the co-founder of the community organization United Against Hate, which campaigns against hate crimes in an increasingly intolerant India.
Khalid was arrested on Sept. 13, 2020, after he became a prominent face of nationwide protests against the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act, a law excluding Muslims from eligibility for a fast-tracked path to Indian citizenship. For speaking up, Khalid, along with 11 other still-detained activists, was accused of terrorism, sedition, and promoting religious enmity among a total of 29 charges. The Indian government has targeted Khalid with the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, a vague law frequently used to silence dissent in the country.
“Why am I dangerous? Is it because I say that this country is as much mine as it is yours?” Khalid asked in a video recorded a few days before his arrest.
Since his arrest, Khalid has languished in prison. “We are not alive though we are living, and we are not in our graves though we are dead,” Khalid has written from jail.
“Khalid stands as a brave symbol of dissent in an increasingly authoritarian India. For five years, Khalid has remained India’s most prominent political prisoner — his case exemplifying the lengths Modi’s government will go to crush dissent, particularly from the Muslim minority,” said HRF Legal and Research Officer Hannah Van Dijcke.
In its petition, HRF calls on the WGAD to investigate Khalid’s case, deem his detention arbitrary and in violation of international law, and request the Indian government to immediately and unconditionally release Khalid.
Supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
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