Family, friends, and human rights advocates are calling for the immediate release of 26-year-old student activist and journalist Rejaz M. Sydeek, who on Friday marked 100 days in jail under charges including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Rejaz Sydeek, a member of the Democratic Students Association (DSA) and an independent journalist from Kerala, was arrested on May 7 by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which cited his alleged “anti-India” and “anti-Indian Army” social media posts during Operation Sindoor.
Authorities later accused him of having links to banned organizations, including the Communist Party of India (Maoist), a claim his family denies.
Rejaz was a freelance contributor for several independent news outlets, including Maktoob. He mostly covered stories related to human rights and the civil liberties of marginalised communities.
The investigation is being handled by the ATS’s Nagpur unit.
“He is not anti-national. He cares deeply for people and society,” Sydeek MB, Rejaz’s father and a retired history teacher, told Maktoob.
He said they put up the Indian flag in their house during Independence Day and Rejaz was part of all of it.
The elder Sydeek cited his son’s involvement in COVID-19 relief work and his contributions during the Wayanad landslides as examples of his commitment to social work. His neighbourhood has rallied behind the family since the arrest, insisting the charges are unfounded.
“They all know it is a false allegation,” Sydeek MB said.
He also addressed reports that books seized by the ATS were used as evidence. “Karl Marx’s book is something I use for reference as a teacher. It’s not banned in India. How does it become a crime?”
Under UAPA, investigators are allowed up to 180 days to file a chargesheet, with a court granting a 60-day extension in Sydeek’s case after the initial 90-day deadline lapsed, the family said.
Rights groups argue the arrest reflects a troubling pattern of targeting journalists and student activists under sweeping anti-terror laws.
As Sydeek remains behind bars, his family continues to hope for bail and what they describe as long-overdue justice.
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