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Mohammed Zubair was detained for his expression about religion and in relation to his reporting on religious freedom conditions.

On June 27, 2022, Delhi police arrested Zubair, co-founder of the fact-checking website Alt News, after summoning him for questioning. Earlier in June 2022, authorities opened a criminal investigation into a Tweet Zubair made in 2018 perceived as insulting to a Hindu god. Zubair’s arrest followed his flagging of remarks made by the then-active Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson perceived as insulting to the Prophet Muhammad and Islam, which led to widespread protests across the country. Zubair was charged with "promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc." (Sec. 153A IPC) and “deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs” (Sec. 295A IPC).

On July 20, 2022, the Supreme Court granted Zubair interim bail in all six cases he was being prosecuted in.  He was released that same day.

Zubair has been targeted in other criminal cases in relation to his work as a journalist.

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Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba was imprisoned for criticizing state violence against religious and marginalized communities. 

On May 9, 2014, plain clothed police officers in Delhi arrested Saibaba, a former English professor, for his work in support of civil and human rights for Adivasis and Dalits. As the Deputy Secretary of the Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF), he regularly spoke out against government discrimination and violence targeting them in mineral-rich central India. During the arrest, Saibaba’s hand was injured as police removed him from his wheelchair and threw him into their van. Saibaba was reportedly charged with unlawful activities (Sec. 13 UAPA), conspiracy (Sec. 18 UAPA), being member of terrorist gang or organization (Sec. 20 UAPA), associating with a terrorist organization (Sec. 38 UAPA), and supporting a terrorist organization (Sec. 39 UAPA). Authorities accused Saibaba of collaborating with banned Maoist insurgent groups. 

From June 2015 to December 2015, Saibaba was granted interim bail to receive medical treatment. 

In April 2016, the Supreme Court granted Saibaba bail.

On March 7, 2017, Saibaba was sentenced to life in prison. Following the conviction, Saibaba was taken back into custody.

On June 28, 2018, several UN experts called for Saibaba’s immediate release, citing poor prison conditions and lack of adequate medical care for Saibaba.

In February 2021, Saibaba contracted COVID-19.

In June 2021, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared Saibaba’s imprisonment arbitrary, calling for his immediate release. 

In February 2022, Saibaba reportedly contracted COVID-19 for the second time.

In August 2022, Saibaba reportedly contracted swine flu.

On October 14, 2022, the Bombay High Court acquitted Saibaba and ordered his immediate release.

On October 15, 2022, the Supreme Court suspended Saibaba's acquittal. 

On March 5, 2024, the Bombay High Court re-acquitted Saibaba.

On March 7, 2024, Saibaba was released from Nagpur Central Jail.

Saibaba’s health has deteriorated greatly while in prison and has been denied adequate medical care. Saibaba is 90% physically disabled and has been wheelchair-bound since catching polio as a child. He requires assistance to do basic tasks such as sitting up, eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom. Saibaba reportedly suffers from several health conditions including, a heart condition, brain cyst, hypertension, breathing difficulties, back pain, and nerve damage. Saibaba is reportedly also being held in solitary confinement. 

Saibaba was being held in Nagpur Central Jail.

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Rupesh Singh is detained for his religious freedom advocacy.

In July 2022, police in Ramgarh district arrested Singh, a freelance journalist known for reporting on human rights abuses against Dalits and Adivasis, marginalized communities under India's religiously-based caste system. Authorities accused him of Maoist activities and charged him with “being a member of an unlawful association” and "unlawful activities" (Secs. 10, 13), among others, under the controversial Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Authorities further charged him with rioting with a deadly weapon, attempted murder, waging war against the state, sedition, and conspiracy (Sec. 147, 148, 120B, 121A, 124A IPC).

Authorities mistreated Singh during detention by depriving him of sleep during consecutive all-night interrogations and by housing him in a cell with other prisoners suffering from infectious diseases. Previously, authorities detained Signh for six months in 2019 for his reporting on Adivasi issues.