India: Supreme Court denies bail to Muslim student activists
DW••world
Key Points:
- India's Supreme Court denied bail to student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, detained for over five years without trial under anti-terrorism laws for allegedly conspiring to incite deadly 2020 Delhi riots.
- Five others charged similarly were granted bail, but the court ruled Khalid and Imam played a "central role" in the conspiracy, making their cases distinct.
- The prolonged detention without trial has drawn criticism from US lawmakers and international human rights groups, who call for fair and timely hearings and highlight concerns over due process and repression of free expression.
- The 2020 riots followed public protests against India's Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens, laws seen by many Muslims as discriminatory under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
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