Life and Activism Taggar runs the Punjab Dastavez and was charged for extortion, criminal conspiracy and wrongful restraint, according to reporting by The Indian Express. Taggar’s assistant, Satnam Daun, told The Indian Express that the allegations had no basis and that the arrest was made to harass and silence Taggar due to his reporting on […]

Background Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in relation to a money laundering case. Prior to his arrest, he resigned as the state’s chief minister after he was questioned by the central law enforcement agency, according to reporting by Scroll. The arrest was made in relation to the ownership of a land parcel, […]

Background Surju Tekam is the leader of the Bastar Jan Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti and the Vice President of the Sarva Adivasi Samaj, a collective of Adivasi organizations in Chhattisgarh. He led Indigenous protests against corporatization and militarization and has been outspoken on human rights violations by security forces (ie. arrests of community leaders). Early in […]

Background According to reporting by Al Jazeera, Kejriwal’s government is accused of receiving kickbacks while distributing liquor licenses to private companies. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which arrested Kejriwal, claimed that his party and ministers accepted 1 billion rupees in bribes, according to reporting by the AP.  Kejriwal’s party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), alleges that […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, activists, and artists—specifically those who speak about the Indian government and the dangerous rise of Hindu ethnonationalism in the country. Activists and human rights advocates have expressed grave concerns over the […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. In 2022, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country and by state agencies, non-state political actors, […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. In 2022, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country and by state agencies, non-state political actors, […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country and by state agencies, non-state […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people, many of […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) to detain people—as they did […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country and by state agencies, non-state […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country and by state agencies, non-state […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country and by state agencies, non-state […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian activists and journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. The state uses laws like the National Security Act to detain people—as they did with Erendro […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country and by state agencies, non-state […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country and by state agencies, non-state […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists and activists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country and by state […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country and by state agencies, non-state […]

Background After the 2008 Bengaluru bomb blast—where one person was killed and 20 injured—Muhammed Zakaria was the eighth person accused of involvement in the blast. Zakaria is described as an example of the fate of “Suspected Indian Muslim youth.” Despite the fact that Muslims make up 14.2% of India’s population, Muslims made up almost 30% […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country and by state agencies, non-state […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country and by state agencies, non-state […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country in 2022 and by state […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country in 2022 and by state […]

Background The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party led by current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been strategically targeting Indian journalists, specifically those critical of the Indian government, since it took power in 2014. According to The Wire, at least 194 journalists were targeted across the country in 2022 and by state […]

Background Abdur Rehman is a Muslim Human Rights defender, Student Activist, and the President of Shibli National College Students’ Union, Azamgarh. He is vocal on issues of atrocities against minorities in India, especially the Muslim community and minority rights. Born and raised in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rehman was a student of B.Com at Shibli College […]

Background 26-year-old Vijith Vijayan hails from Wayanad district of Kerala. He is a B.Tech graduate who had been working in a tuition centre at Cherukulathoor, Kozhikode. Charges and Allegations Vijith, resident of Wayanad, was charged under 120B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) besides sections 13, 38 and 39 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act […]

Background Kumtu Vasunyia is wife of Christian Pastor Ramesh Vasunyia who managed a prayer hall in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. Kumtu, along with three other women, was attending a prayer meeting at her husband Ramesh Vasunyia’s prayer hall on December 5. 2021 when all 5 of them were taken to Ranapur police station for […]

Background Ramesh Vasunyia is a Christian pastor in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. He along with his wife and son managed the Christian prayer hall in Pandalva village of Jhabua district. Charges and Allegations Ramesh Vasunyia was taken into police custody on December 5, 2021, after some policemen came to make inquiries at his prayer […]

Background Hidme Markam is an Adivasi Human Rights defender, an advocate for the rights of indigenous people against state and police violence, and an anti-mining campaigner. She is the Convener of the Jail Bandi Rihai Manch (JBRM), a platform advocating release of Adivasi persons. She is from the Burgum Village of the conflict-ridden Dantewada District, […]

Background Usman Melethil is a Communist leader from Kerala. He was arrested on September 14, 2021, from Pattikad in Malappuram district of Kerala by the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS). According to police theory, he fled the scenes when Pantheerankavu police tried to catch him during the arrest of student leaders Thwaha Fasal (23) and Alan […]

Background Thwaha Fasal, age 23, is a law student and activist from Kerala. On November 1, 2019, Pantheerankavu police officers in Kerala arrested him on suspicion of Maoist ties. Thwaha was brought into custody after police allegedly noticed him in “strange circumstances” with Alan Fasal, 21, and another male, named by police as Usman, who […]

Background 21-year-old Alan Shuhaib is a law student and activist based in Kerala. He was arrested on November 1, 2019 by Pantheerankavu police officials in Kerala alleging Maoist links. Alan was taken into the custody as the police allegedly spotted them with 24-year-old Thaha Fasal and another man – identified by police as the absconding […]

Background Abdul Baten is an Assam-based activist arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). In October 2022, a private museum was inaugurated by Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam to preserve their culture. The activist was falsely accused of sharing links with “terror outfits,” The museum was forcefully evicted and shut down by the administrative authorities […]

Background Mufti Jahangir Qasmi was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (UP ATS) in June 2021 over false accusations of converting Hindus to Islam. Qasmi is a religious scholar and has worked with the Islamic Da’wah Center (IDC). This charitable institution provides legal assistance to the converted, along with financial assistance to people from […]

Background Mohd Zaid is a Popular Front of India (PFI) activist arrested under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). India’s BJP government banned the PFI in September 2022. The Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi banned PFI, its student wings, and other affiliates, alleging the group of unlawful “terror activities,” disturbing […]

Background  Mukhtar Baba is a restaurant owner based in Kanpur. In June 2022, the protesters gathered, demanding the arrest of former Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her derogatory remarks on Prophet Mohammad on national television. The international community widely condemned the remarks. But, despite several FIRs, the police didn’t arrest her. In […]

Background  Afsar Alam is an activist arrested during the protest in Ranchi. In June 2022, protesters gathered to demand the arrest of the former Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad on national television. The protests were held peacefully at different places, including Kanpur, Allahabad, and Jharkhand, seeking […]

Background  Asgar Jamali is a human rights activist arrested under the draconian anti-terrorism law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). He was a member of the Popular Front of India (PFI), which India’s union right-wing government banned in September 2022, accusing the organization of “unlawful activities.” Asgar Jamali is a local activist who was arrested […]

  Background Qaiser Ahmed Mir, 31, a local shopowner from Kashmir, was among the mourners who were arrested in June 2021 for raising “anti-India” and “pro-freedom” slogans during the funeral of Amin Dar. Dar was killed in a car accident near his hometown of Bumhama in north Kashmir. Qaiser was among the mourners who raised […]

Background Israr Ali Khan is a Muslim Ayurvedic doctor from North-east Delhi. He was arrested in October 2022 under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The authorities accused him of being a member of the Popular Front of India (PFI) and “conspiring” against the government. India’s federal government banned PFI in September 2022.  According […]

Background Mohammad Sajid is a student who was arrested in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh (UP). In June 2022, Muslim activists and students gathered to protest against the derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on national television. Police made Sajid one of the accused in the alleged conspiracy to instigate violence. […]

Background Abdul Majeed is a religious leader from Kashmir affiliated with the Jamiat Ahle Hadees. He is a prominent figure who has been preaching in local mosques, promoting religious knowledge among the people while touching upon various aspects of society and opposing the influence of Western modernity in Kashmir. The preacher has millions of followers […]

Background Amir Hamza is the president of CFI, the student wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI). The Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi banned PFI, its student wings, and other affiliates, alleging the group of unlawful “terror activities,” disturbing law and order, and posing a threat to the sovereignty of […]

Background Ghazi Moinul-Islam is a Muslim preacher based in Kashmir. He was arrested in November 2022 under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA), where the state can detain an individual for up to two years without a trial. The authorities accused him of “instigating” the people of Kashmir. The cleric is a Jamaat e Islami […]

Background In September 2022, the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI). Several members of the organization were arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), citing the “anti-terror” and illegal activities. Maulana Irfan Daulat Nadvi is an activist and member of the Popular […]

Background  Haji Wasi is a local activist and a builder who was arrested by the Police, falsely accusing him of funding the violence in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP) on June 3, 2022. The incident was a call to protest against former Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) spokeswoman Nupur Sharma’s remarks against Prophet Muhammad on national television. […]

Background   Faheem Mohammad Ramzan is the former general secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI). JeI is a social and religious organization that was banned by the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019, accusing the group of unlawful activities and leading a secessionist movement in Kashmir. Since then, the authorities have arrested many […]

Background Abdul Hameed Fayyaz was born in Nadigam village, near Shopian, in 1956. He is a Muslim preacher and the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami in Kashmir. The cleric has been associated with Jamaat since 1976 and has been a full-time worker for the organization since 1985. The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi banned […]

Background  Abdul Dawoodi heads the Tehreek-e-Sowtul Awliya religious group and is the best-known Barelvi scholar in Kashmir. The 51-year-old Muslim cleric is a prominent figure with Sufi influences in South Kashmir, has a mass following on social media, and has been preaching on various social issues, such as the dowry system in Kashmir. In September […]

Background Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat alias Mushtaq Veeri is an influential Muslim preacher in Kashmir and former president of the Jamiat Ahle-Hadith. The cleric has thousands of followers across Jammu and Kashmir, and he preaches at the central mosque in Anantnag, Kashmir, on various social issues. He was arrested on September 15 after receiving a call from […]

Background  Amir Hamza is a journalist from Patna, Bihar. He works with a YouTube news channel called “The Activist.” The Activist is an important platform that airs reports on caste-based discrimination and the marginalization of religious minorities. His colleague Ved Prakash said that Hamza was a trained journalist and had joined the service of “The […]

Background  Haseen is a local activist who was arrested during the protests against the discriminatory citizenship bill. The protest against the citizenship amendment erupted in different parts of India in 2019–20. Muslim youth and activists were arrested in different states. In Uttar Pradesh (UP), the right-wing government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took extreme […]

Background Tanveer Warsi is the editor of a Hindi-language newspaper Prabhat Sanket in Madhya Pradesh state (MP). He bought Prabhat Sanket, a defunct Hindi weekly that used to be published from Indore around 2010, with his own money. The newspaper received acclaim from the readers and distributed around 5000 copies before his arrest in July […]

Background  A private museum was inaugurated in October 2022 in Assam’s Goalpara district, displaying the distinct culture of the marginalized Bengali-origin Miya community. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders demanded shutting it down. Soon after, the Museum was sealed by the Goalpara district administration. The Assam Police accused the Museum of receiving funds from […]

Background Dr. Fazili is a senior research fellow in pharmaceutical science at Kashmir University and was a recipient of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) Maulana Azad National Fellowship from 2016 to 2021. The scholar is a prominent voice in the human rights community. The Union government paid him Rs 30,000 for five years till March […]

Background Mohammad Alam hails from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh state. He was a Gramin Seva rickshaw driver. He bought his car in partnership with another relative in September 2020. Alam was a driver with Ola, a ride-sharing app, before his arrest. Alam was arrested on his way to Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. Alam was ferrying journalist […]

Background In Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, the demand for the arrest of Nupur Sharma was raised by  Muslims for her derogatory remarks against the Prophet Mohammad (SAW) on national television. Zafar Hayat was leading the Jail Bharo Andolan against the inflammatory remarks of Sharma and called for a peaceful Bazaar bandh. According to the police, the […]

Background In February 2020,  the anti-Muslim violence in North East Delhi led to the killing of 53 people, most of them Muslims. Soon after, the Delhi police initiated the investigation and filed a charge sheet describing the riot as a conspiracy of the Muslim activists to disturb law and order and bring down the Hindu […]

Background Abdullah Umar is a business student. He was arrested when he was on his way to a hospital. The official accused him of being involved in religious conversion and distributing money to those who converted. Abdullah works with the Islamic Da’wa Centre (IDC) run by his father, Umar Gautam, who was also arrested by […]

Background The Hindu Nationalist government of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) in September 2022. The government accused the organization of indulging in “terror activities” and radicalizing Muslim youth to “subvert” democracy, a claim vehemently denied by its member and other activists. However, the ban is […]

Background Ahmed is a Jamia Millia Islamia University student and was enrolled in a Masters’s program in Social Exclusion and Inclusion. He belongs to the Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh and is a student activist. He was the Delhi State Secretary of the Campus Front of India (CFI), the student wing of the Popular Front […]

Background  The Delhi Police falsely implicated activists and anti-Citizenship Act (CAA) protesters in connection with the anti-Muslim pogrom in February 2020 in North East Delhi. The activists were predominantly Muslims and have been accused of “conspiring against the government and disturbing law and order.” The state has used the stringent anti-terror law of UAPA to […]

Background  Rauf Shareef, the national leader of CFI, a student wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI), was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in December 2020. According to ED, the CFI leader allegedly provided financial support to incite communal unrest in Uttar Pradesh’s […]

Background Rupesh Kumar Singh is a journalist based in Jharkhand state. His phone number appeared in a leaked database related to Pegasus hacking software in 2021. The cyber surveillance was in response to his report on the police killing of an unarmed tribal man in Jharkhand in 2017. On July 15, 2022, he posted on […]

Background The Hindu Nationalist government of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) in September 2022. The government accused the organization of indulging in “terror activities” and radicalizing Muslim youth to “subvert” democracy, a claim vehemently denied by its member and other activists. However, the ban is […]

Background The Hindu Nationalist government of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) in September 2022. The government accused the organization of indulging in “terror activities” and radicalizing Muslim youth to “subvert” democracy, a claim vehemently denied by its member and other activists. However, the ban is […]

Background The Hindu Nationalist government of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) in September 2022. The government accused the organization of indulging in “terror activities” and radicalizing Muslim youth to “subvert” democracy, a claim vehemently denied by its member and other activists. However, the ban is […]

Background The Hindu Nationalist government of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) in September 2022. The government accused the organization of indulging in “terror activities” and radicalizing Muslim youth to “subvert” democracy, a claim vehemently denied by its member and other activists. However, the ban is […]