Additional Name(s): Ahsan Muzaffar oglu Nuruzade

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Azerbaijan

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Shi'a

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Rejected

Sentence: 7 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: October/6/2017

Date of Sentencing: March/6/2018

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Association

Nature of Charges: Drug Trafficking & Illicit Drug Use

Ahsan Nuruzade

Extra Bio Info:

Ahsan Nuruzade is imprisoned for his religious association.

On October 6, 2017, two plainclothes officers abducted Nuruzade, a member of the unregistered Muslim Unity Movement (MUM) organization, near his home as he was heading to attend the Nardaran trial. 

On October 9, 2017, Judge Sabuhi Huseynov of Baku Grave Crimes Court sentenced Nuruzade to seven years' imprisonment for "illegally purchasing or storing with a view of selling, manufacturing, processing, transporting, transferring or selling of narcotics or psychotropic substances in large amount" (Art. 234 ACC).

This is Nuruzade's third detention related to his religious association.

Publicly Available Information:

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: India

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: January/28/2020

Current Status: Not 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

Sharjeel Imam

Extra Bio Info:

Sharjeel Imam is detained for his religious freedom advocacy.

In January 2020, authorities arrested Imam, a Muslim student activist, for participating in peaceful protests opposing the religious discriminatory Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) in December 2019 and January 2020. Authorities accused him of inciting communal violence through speeches made at the protests. In August 2020, authorities charged him in first information report (FIR) 59/2020 with rioting with a deadly weapon, murder, attempted murder, sedition, "promoting enmity on grounds of religion," unlawful activities, terrorist acts, raising funds for terrorist acts, and conspiracy (Secs. 124A, 148, 153A, 302, 307 IPC; 13, 16, 17, 18 UAPA).

Publicly Available Information:

Gender: Male

Current Location: Tihar Jail, Delhi

Perpetrator: India

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: April/1/2020

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Protesting Religious Freedom Conditions Religious Identity

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

Meeran Haider

Extra Bio Info:

Meeran Haider was detained for his religious freedom advocacy.

On April 1, 2020, authorities arrested Haider, a Muslim student activist, after accusing him of inciting communal violence during the 2020 Delhi riots. Haider was targeted for leading peaceful protests opposing the religiously discriminatory Citizen Amendment Act (CAA). Authorities charged Haider under FIR 59/2020 with offenses under the IPC, 1967 Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). 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).

On June 26, 2020, several UN experts called for the release of Haider 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 January 2026, Meeran Haider was released on bail under strict conditions.

Related Cases: Umar Khalid, Shifa ur-Rehman, Sharjeel Imam, Natasha Narwal, Khalid Saifi, Ishrat Jehan, Gulfisha Fatima, Devangana Kalita, Safoora Zargar, Asif Iqbal Tanha

Publicly Available Information:
Subscribe to