'Grant him fair trial': US lawmakers write in support of Umar Khalid; Mamdani send note for jailed activist

US Representatives Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskin among eight lawmakers who have written to the Indian Ambassador to the US urging that Khalid be granted bail

A group of lawmakers from the United States has written to Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra urging that activist Umar Khalid be granted bail and a “fair, timely trial in accordance with international law”.

US Representatives Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskin are among eight lawmakers who wrote to Kwatra expressing “our continued concern regarding the prolonged pre-trial detention of individuals charged in connection with the February 2020 violence in Delhi”, including Khalid.

McGovern said he met with the parents of Khalid, who has been jailed in India for over 5 years without trial, in December.

Khalid and a few others have been booked under the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 Delhi riots, which left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.

“The US and India share a long standing strategic partnership that has historically been rooted in democratic values, constitutional governance and strong people-to-people ties,” the letter said, adding that as the world's largest democracies, both nations have an interest in protecting and upholding freedom, the rule of law, human rights and pluralism.

“It is in this spirit” that the lawmakers said they are raising their concerns regarding Khalid’s detention.

The lawmakers claimed that human rights organisations, legal experts and global media have raised questions about the fairness of the investigation and legal process related to Khalid’s detention.

He "has been detained without bail for five years for charges levied under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, which independent human rights experts have warned may contravene international standards of equality before the law, due process and proportionality.”

The US Representatives further added that they understand that these matters are presently under consideration before the Supreme Court of India and welcomed the news that Khalid received temporary bail to attend his sister's wedding.

They urged that Khalid be granted bail and released for the duration of the court's proceedings. “With respect for India's democratic institutions and its role as a key partner of the US, we request that your government share the steps being taken to ensure that the judicial proceedings against Khalid and those of his co-accused who remain in detention comport with international standards,” the lawmakers said.

Mamdani's note for Umar Khalid

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has written a note for Khalid, recalling his words on “bitterness” and the importance of not letting it consume one's self.

The note was posted on X by Khalid’s partner Banojyotsna Lahiri. “When prisons try to isolate, words travel. Zohran Mamdani writes to Umar Khalid,” the caption accompanying the note said.

“Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often, and the importance of not letting it consume one's self. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you,” the handwritten note signed by Mamdani said.