Gender: Female

Perpetrator: India

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other

Health Concerns: Pregnant

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes

Date of Detainment: April/10/2020

Date of Release: June/24/2020

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Protesting Religious Freedom Conditions Religious Identity

Nature of Charges: Aid & Abetment Assault & Battery Criminal Premeditation & Conspiracy Hate Speech Illicit Financing Murder & Attempted Murder Negligence Public Disorder Terrorism Treason & Sedition Unlawful Disobedience

Safoora Zargar

Extra Bio Info:

Safoora Zargar was detained for protesting religious freedom conditions.

On April 10, 2020, authorities arrested Zargar, a Muslim student activist and roughly three months pregnant at the time, under first information report (FIR) 48/2020 for her involvement in the Jaffrabad protest. She was charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including disobedience (Sec. 188 IPC), "assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty" (Sec. 353 IPC), "danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation" (Sec. 283 IPC), rioting (Sec. 147 IPC), wrongful restraint (Sec. 341 IPC), and abetment (Sec. 109 IPC). Despite the nature of the charges, Zargar was targeted for leading peaceful protests opposing the religiously discriminatory Citizen Amendment Act (CAA).

On April 13, 2020, authorities arrested Zargar again after she was released on bail. 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).

Zargar was reportedly denied adequate medical care and a special diet while detained.

On June 23, 2020, the Delhi High Court granted Zargar bail due to medical complications.

On June 24, 2020, Zargar was released from jail.

On June 26, 2020, several UN experts called for the release of Zargar and other protestors, saying that their arrests seem "clearly designed to send a chilling message...that criticism of government policies will not be tolerated."

In March 2021, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared Zargar's detention arbitrary and in violation of international law.

On February 4, 2023, a Delhi court discharged Zargar in the December 2019 violence case.

Zargar is married.

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