Gender: Female

Perpetrator: India

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: February/26/2020

Date of Release: March/16/2022

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Protesting Religious Freedom Conditions Religious Identity

Nature of Charges: Criminal Premeditation & Conspiracy Hate Speech Illicit Financing Murder & Attempted Murder Public Disorder Terrorism Treason & Sedition

Ishrat Jehan

Extra Bio Info:

Ishrat Jehan was detained for protesting religious freedom conditions.

On February 26, 2020, authorities arrested Jehan, a former councilor, after accusing her of urging violence against police at a protest site in Khureji Khas. Jehan, however, was targeted for leading peaceful protests opposing the religious discriminatory Citizen Amendment Act (CAA).  At the time, police reportedly charged her under first information report (FIR) 44/2020 with attempted murder and rioting.

On March 21, 2020, Jehan was granted bail. However, police arrested her immediately after her release. She was charged under FIR 59/2020 with new offenses under the IPC, 1967 Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) after authorities accused her of inciting communal violence during the 2020 Delhi riots. Charges include but are not limited to rioting (Sec. 147 IPC), rioting with a deadly weapon (Sec. 148 IPC), murder (Sec. 302 IPC), attempted murder (Sec. 307 IPC), sedition (Sec. 124A IPC), "promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony" (Sec. 153A IPC), unlawful activities (Sec. 13 UAPA), terrorist acts (Sec. 16 UAPA), raising funds for terrorist acts (Sec. 17 UAPA), and conspiracy (Sec. 18 UAPA).

In mid-June 2020, Jehan was granted interim bail to marry her fiancé.  She returned to prison on June 19, 2020.

In December 2020, Jehan told a court that she had been assaulted by fellow prisoners on multiple occasions.

On March 15, 2022, the Karkardooma Sessions Court in Delhi granted Jehan bail.

On March 16, 2022, Jehan was released from jail. 

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