human rights defender

Meeran Haider

© Sabrang India

Organization affiliation

  • Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)

HRD's year of birth

1991

HRD's Gender

Man

Type of HRD

  • Academic
  • Social and community leader

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Civil and political rights
  • Minorities’ rights

HRD's geographical origin

Urban

Current Status

Released on bail

HRD's bio and work

Meeran Haider is an Indian student activist, political worker, and research scholar at Jamia Millia Islamia. He served as the Delhi youth wing president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and was a prominent mobilizer during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Detained since

Apr 1, 2020

Date of release

Jan 7, 2026

Charge(s)

  • Anti-government propaganda
  • Creating disturbances
  • Damage to public property
  • Other
  • Subversion
  • Terrorism

Sentence

The FIR 59/2020 was registered by the Delhi Police Special Cell, charging under multiple statutes:

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA): Section 13: Punishment for unlawful activities. Section 16: Punishment for terrorist act. Section 17: Punishment for raising funds for terrorist acts. Section 18: Punishment for conspiracy. Indian Penal Code (IPC): Section 120B: Criminal conspiracy. Section 302: Murder. Section 307: Attempt to murder. Section 124A: Sedition (prosecution stayed by Supreme Court orders, but remains in the charge sheet). Section 153A: Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion. Section 147 & 148: Rioting and rioting armed with deadly weapon. Section 149: Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object. Section 353: Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty. Section 186, 212, 395, 427, 435, 436, 452, 454: Assorting IPC sections relating to rioting, damage, and trespass. Arms Act, 1959: Sections 25 & 27: Possession and use of unlicensed arms. Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, 1984: Sections 3 & 4: Mischief causing damage to public property.

Latitude: 28.614878297909964

Longitude: 77.10141824293368

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Asia: Southern Asia

Location of detention - City/Town

New Delhi

Location of detention - Facility

Tihar Jail, New Delhi

Recent case update / evolution

The Supreme Court of India granted bail on 05 January 2026.

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