Activist Umar Khalid, who has been in jail for the last six years, has been awarded the 2026 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk.
The award is given by the Ireland-based human rights organisation Front Line at a ceremony in Dublin at Trinity College. Umar Khalid, however, could not receive the award as he is currently in Tihar Jail, alleged in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. Umar’s father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, represented him at the ceremony.
In a statement released on October 8, Front Line Defenders said, “Umar Khalid is the 2026 Asia winner of the Front Line Defenders Award. To those who try to silence his work, he is seen as an “enemy of the state’’ and an “anti-national”, but for others he is seen as a hero, a voice of the people, and a human rights defender. For the last six years, Umar Khalid has been shackled behind bars for his leadership in the peaceful and democratic civil movement against the unconstitutional and anti-Muslim amendments to India’s citizenship laws.”
Along with Umar, the awardees are: Laurinda Manuel Gouveia, a feminist pro-participatory democracy defender (Angola) for Africa. Adda Vyctoria Caetano, a Black trans woman leader (Brazil) for the Americas. Ljiljana Nešić, a feminist peacebuilder (Serbia) for Europe and Central Asia. Ahmadreza Haeri, an anti-death penalty campaigner (Iran) for the Middle East and North Africa.
Umar was arrested on September 13, 2020, by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The police have charged him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), sedition, murder, attempt to murder, and other sections of the Indian Penal Code. He has not faced trial in the case even after spending 6 years in jail.
He was arrested in relation to the communal violence that took place in North East Delhi in February 2020. 53 people were found dead after the violence. Most of those killed were Muslims.
The police claimed that the violence was part of a larger conspiracy to defame the Narendra Modi government. Police claimed the violence was planned by those who organised the protests against the amended Citizenship Act.
The prosecution has maintained that his speech, which was given in Amravati in February 2020, is evidence of a “premeditated” conspiracy. In his speech, Umar invoked Mahatma Gandhi and called for non-violent protests to take place when the United States President, Donald Trump, was visiting India.
