Shifa ur-Rehman
Additional Name(s): Shifa ur-Rahman
Gender: Male
Current Location: Tihar Jail, Delhi
Perpetrator: India
Religion or Belief: Muslim – Unspecified/Other
Health Concerns: Kidney disease
Reports of Torture: No
Reports of Medical Neglect: No
Date of Detainment: April/26/2020
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
Shifa ur-Rehman
Extra Bio Info:
Shifa ur-Rehman was detained for protesting religious freedom conditions.
On April 26, 2020, authorities arrested ur-Rehman, a Muslim and president of Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Association, after accusing him of inciting communal violence during the 2020 Delhi riots. Ur-Rehman was targeted for leading peaceful protests opposing the religiously discriminatory Citizen Amendment Act (CAA). He was charged under FIR 59/2020 with offenses under the IPC, 1967 Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Charges included 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).
Prison authorities have denied Ur-Rehman legal counsel and medical care for his kidney disease.
On June 26, 2020, several UN experts called for the release of ur-Rehman 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, Shifa ur-Rehman was released on bail under strict conditions.
Related Cases: Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Natasha Narwal, Meeran Haider, Khalid Saifi, Ishrat Jehan, Gulfisha Fatima, Devangana Kalita, Safoora Zargar, Asif Iqbal Tanha
Publicly Available Information:
- "Marriage, assault by inmates & 2 years in jail later, why court granted bail to Ishrat Jahan" The Print
- "Jailed For 22 Months, Former Jamia Alumni President Asks If Stringent Laws Are Only For Muslims" Article 14
- "2 Years of Delhi Riots: What's the Status of UAPA-Accused Named in FIR 59?" The Quint
- “Cannot Prevent Someone From Meeting Their Lawyer: Delhi HC in Jamia Alumni President's Case” The Wire
- "Six Months Since Delhi Riots, Delhi Police Continue to Enjoy Impunity Despite Rights Violations" Amnesty International
- "UN experts urge India to release protest leaders" UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
- "India: End Bias in Prosecuting Delhi Violence" Human Rights Watch
- “Delhi violence: President of Jamia alumni association arrested under UAPA” Scroll.in
- USCIRF Legislation Factsheet: The Citizenship (Amendment) Act in India February 2020