IAMC Welcomes Supreme Court’s Order Granting Bail to Anti-CAA Activists Khalid Saifi and Tasleem Ahmed
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 26, 2026) — The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) today welcomed the Supreme Court of India’s decision to grant six months’ interim bail to human rights activist Khalid Saifi and Tasleem Ahmed, both detained under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2020 protests against a discriminatory citizenship law in Delhi.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale granted relief to Saifi and Ahmed on May 22, while also referring to a larger bench the critical legal question of whether prolonged incarceration and delayed trials can justify the grant of bail despite the stringent statutory restrictions under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA.
“While we welcome this long-overdue relief for Khalid Saifi and Tasleem Ahmed, we are compelled to remind the world that Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and other activists remain illegally and unjustly behind bars, imprisoned for over six years without trial,” said IAMC President Mohammed Jawad. “Their continued detention is a stain on India’s claim to democratic governance and judicial independence.”
Saifi, founder of the human rights organization United Against Hate, was arrested in February 2020 in connection with the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests and has spent more than six years in prison. He was reportedly tortured in police custody, suffering fractured bones in both legs. Throughout his incarceration, the trial in the case has not even commenced, and charges have yet to be framed against any of the 18 accused.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has listed Saifi as a victim of religious freedom violations in its database of religious prisoners of conscience.
IAMC notes with grave concern that despite this welcome development, fellow accused Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, both recognized internationally as prisoners of conscience, continue to languish in Tihar Jail. In January 2026, the Supreme Court denied bail to Khalid and Imam while granting bail to five other co-accused. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention subsequently declared Khalid’s detention arbitrary and in violation of international human rights law, calling on India to release him immediately.
“Bail is not justice, it is the bare minimum owed to individuals who have been denied their liberty for over half a decade without trial,” Jawad added. “The international community must continue to press India to uphold its constitutional and international obligations.”
