Meeran Haider, Shifa-Ur-Rehman and Safoora Zargar, who is three months pregnant, have been arrested for peacefully protesting the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a law that legitimises discrimination on the basis of religion and stands in clear violation of the Constitution of India and international human rights law. Detained under the repressive Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the three can be held without charge for up to 180 days or even more, a duration far exceeding international standards. With no provisions for adequate pre-trial safeguards against torture and other ill-treatment contained in the UAPA, as well as the imminent threat of a COVID-19 outbreak in the prison, there are grave concerns for the wellbeing of the three activists.
