human rights defender
Sharjeel Imam
© Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
Sharjeel Imam
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER
HRD's year of birth
1988
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
Semi urban
Current Status
In prison (pre-trial)
HRD's bio and work
Sharjeel Imam is an Indian student activist, writer, and researcher who has been incarcerated since January 2020. A graduate of IIT Bombay, he was pursuing his PhD in modern history at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) when he became a prominent figure in the anti-CAA protests. He was arrested for speeches delivered at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and Jamia Millia Islamia, and was subsequently arrayed in the Delhi riots "larger conspiracy" case.
Detained since
Jan 28, 2020
Charge(s)
- Anti-government propaganda
- Creating disturbances
- Damage to public property
- Other
- Subversion
- Terrorism
Sentence
Sharjeel Imam faces multiple FIRs across different states (Delhi, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh). In the primary conspiracy case (FIR 59/2020), his charges include:
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA): Section 13: Unlawful activities. Section 16: Terrorist acts. Section 17: Funding for terrorist acts. Section 18: Conspiracy. Indian Penal Code (IPC): Section 124A: Sedition. Section 153A: Promoting enmity between different religious groups. Section 153B: Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration. Section 505(2): Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred, or ill-will between classes. Section 120B: Criminal conspiracy. Section 302: Murder. Section 307: Attempt to murder. Sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 353: Rioting, obstructing public servants, and assault. Arms Act, 1959: Sections 25 & 27: Possession/use of unlicensed arms. Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, 1984: Sections 3 & 4: Damage to public property.
Latitude: 28.61683730710137
Longitude: 77.10073159742566
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
5 January 2026, The Supreme Court dismissed the bail application. 4 July 2026, Delhi Trail Court dismissed the bail application.
Attachments
Documented by
- Country(ies) of nationality
- HRD's year of birth
- 1988
- 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 Picture
- Copyright
- Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
- HRD's bio and work
Sharjeel Imam is an Indian student activist, writer, and researcher who has been incarcerated since January 2020. A graduate of IIT Bombay, he was pursuing his PhD in modern history at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) when he became a prominent figure in the anti-CAA protests. He was arrested for speeches delivered at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and Jamia Millia Islamia, and was subsequently arrayed in the Delhi riots "larger conspiracy" case.
- HRD's geographical origin
- Semi urban
- 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
- Geolocation of detention
Latitude: 28.61683730710137
Longitude: 77.10073159742566
- Geolocation of detention
- Detained since
- Jan 28, 2020
- Current Status
- In prison (pre-trial)
- Charge(s)
- Anti-government propaganda
- Creating disturbances
- Damage to public property
- Other
- Subversion
- Terrorism
- Sentence
Sharjeel Imam faces multiple FIRs across different states (Delhi, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh). In the primary conspiracy case (FIR 59/2020), his charges include:
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA): Section 13: Unlawful activities. Section 16: Terrorist acts. Section 17: Funding for terrorist acts. Section 18: Conspiracy. Indian Penal Code (IPC): Section 124A: Sedition. Section 153A: Promoting enmity between different religious groups. Section 153B: Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration. Section 505(2): Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred, or ill-will between classes. Section 120B: Criminal conspiracy. Section 302: Murder. Section 307: Attempt to murder. Sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 353: Rioting, obstructing public servants, and assault. Arms Act, 1959: Sections 25 & 27: Possession/use of unlicensed arms. Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, 1984: Sections 3 & 4: Damage to public property.
- Recent case update / evolution
5 January 2026, The Supreme Court dismissed the bail application. 4 July 2026, Delhi Trail Court dismissed the bail application.
- Documented by
- Consent status
- Consent to register, store and publish the information
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Date added
3 relationships, 2 entities