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Eight US Lawmakers Urge Bail and Timely Trial for Umar Khalid in Letter to India’s Ambassador

The appeal follows more than five years of pretrial detention under India’s UAPA without a trial beginning.

Overview

  • The letter, led by Reps. Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskin, urges authorities to grant bail and start the trial without further delay.
  • Other signatories include Chris Van Hollen, Peter Welch, Pramila Jayapal, Jan Schakowsky, Rashida Tlaib, and Lloyd Doggett.
  • The lawmakers asked how holding Khalid under the UAPA for years without trial squares with international legal norms and sought an explanation for the delay.
  • McGovern said he met Khalid’s parents in Washington recently and amplified the appeal in a social media post.
  • Delhi courts have denied regular bail but allowed a restricted interim release from December 16 to 29, 2025 for his sister’s wedding, and prosecutors’ conspiracy allegations tied to the 2020 Delhi riots remain contested by Khalid.