NEW DELHI: A panel of eminent international jurists and investigators has raised serious concerns over what it describes as “widespread and systematic” violations of human rights against Muslims in India, particularly in the states of Assam and Uttar Pradesh, warning that some acts may amount to crimes under international law.
The findings are contained in a March 2026 report by the Panel of Independent International Experts (PIIE), which examined developments between 2022 and early 2026.
Running into several hundred pages, the report draws on testimonies, legal analysis, and documentation gathered from victims, civil society groups, journalists, and researchers. It was prepared with the support of the Transnational Legal Clinic at the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London, and a wider network of legal researchers and activists.
Crucially, the panel is not a body appointed by any government, court, or the United Nations. It is a self-constituted group of independent experts, formed in 2021 after its members said they were “deeply alarmed” by reports of alleged abuses against Muslims in India.
The report makes clear that the exercise is a civil society-driven international legal assessment, rather than an official inquiry. It aims to compile and analyse information under international human rights and criminal law standards, with the stated objective of raising global awareness and encouraging formal investigation and accountability.
The panel’s work was supported by academic institutions and advocacy groups, including the South Asia Justice Campaign, which provided secretariat support, and teams of researchers and students, who assisted in gathering and analysing evidence.
Report Findings
The panel says it found “credible evidence” of a pattern of abuses that include extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, custodial violence, hate speech, demolition of homes, and restrictions on religious and political freedoms.
In Assam, the report highlights police “encounter” killings, large-scale evictions, expulsions of alleged “illegal immigrants,” and citizenship-related processes that have left many vulnerable to statelessness. In Uttar Pradesh, it points to what it calls discriminatory policing, prolonged detentions, punitive demolitions, and restrictions on protest and religious practice.
The panel also states there is a “reasonable basis” to believe that some actions could fall within the scope of international crimes such as persecution, torture, and deportation, as defined under international criminal law.
A key concern flagged is the alleged role of state authorities. The report notes that in both Assam and Uttar Pradesh, chief ministers also hold the home portfolio, placing them in direct control of policing and internal security structures, and therefore potentially bearing responsibility for the direction and supervision of state actions.
The report points to what it describes as a sustained environment of hostility, marked by repeated instances of hate speech by political leaders and growing social polarisation.
Infographics in the report (pages 3–4) highlight key figures: hundreds of deaths in police “encounter” incidents, thousands of arrests and detentions, large-scale demolitions, and a significant number of documented hate speeches by senior public officials between 2024 and 2025.
The panel argues that such rhetoric may have contributed to a “permissive environment” for violence by non-state actors, including vigilante groups, and reinforced discriminatory practices on the ground.
Methodology and Scope
The panel says it relied on a range of sources, including victim testimonies, civil society reports, court documents, media coverage, and social media evidence.
It assessed this material against international legal frameworks, including international human rights law and international criminal law, applying a standard comparable to that used for initiating formal investigations by bodies such as the International Criminal Court.
The report explicitly states that it did not seek responses from the Government of India and was not intended to reach final judicial conclusions, but rather to determine whether the available information meets the threshold for further investigation.
One of the strongest conclusions of the report is the absence of effective domestic remedies. It says victims have “no realistic prospect” of obtaining justice through existing legal mechanisms, citing concerns about investigations, prosecutions, and institutional independence.
The panel refers to concerns raised by international bodies, including the United Nations Human Rights Committee and special rapporteurs, regarding restrictions on civil liberties, shrinking civic space, and discrimination against minorities.
It also notes criticism of oversight institutions and questions about judicial independence, arguing that these factors compound the challenges faced by victims seeking redress.
Who Are Experts
The Panel of Independent International Experts is composed of three internationally known figures with experience in investigating mass atrocities and human rights violations:
Sonja Biserko, a Serbian human rights activist and founder of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, who has been involved in UN-related investigations;
Marzuki Darusman, former Attorney General of Indonesia, who has chaired major UN investigations, including the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar and inquiries into Sri Lanka;
Stephen Rapp, a former chief prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and a former US ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues.
The panel members have worked in contexts such as Rwanda, the Balkans, and Myanmar, bringing experience from some of the most serious human rights crises of recent decades.
The report is not merely descriptive; it is explicitly aimed at triggering further action at the international level.
The panel has called for the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish an independent fact-finding mechanism to investigate alleged violations in India and to preserve evidence for possible future accountability processes.
It has also recommended the appointment of a UN Special Rapporteur focused on India, and urged international bodies to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the human rights situation.
Beyond the UN system, the panel calls on governments worldwide to monitor developments, publicly raise concerns, and, where appropriate, use diplomatic or economic leverage to push for corrective action. It also mentions the possibility of targeted sanctions or the use of universal jurisdiction in serious cases.
Within India, the panel urges authorities to ensure independent investigations, prosecute those responsible for violations, and provide reparations to victims, while taking steps to guarantee equal rights and protections for minorities.
Broader Pattern
The report situates its findings within a wider pattern of developments over the past decade, including legislative changes, policing practices, and political rhetoric that it says have disproportionately affected Muslim communities.
It points to laws and policies related to citizenship, religious conversion, public assembly, and economic activity, arguing that these have had a cumulative impact on the rights and status of Muslims in several states.
The panel also cites warnings by international organisations that, if unaddressed, such trends could escalate into broader instability and violence.
While the report carries no legal force and is not the outcome of an official investigation, it is structured in a way that mirrors international legal processes, with detailed documentation, legal analysis, and recommendations aimed at global institutions.
In effect, it represents an attempt to internationalise the issue and build a body of evidence that could inform future inquiries, whether by UN mechanisms or other international forums.
Its central message is that the situation, as documented, meets the threshold for serious international concern and warrants independent scrutiny.
Whether that call translates into formal action by international bodies remains uncertain. But the report signals that scrutiny of India’s human rights record, particularly with regard to minorities, is likely to intensify in global forums in the months ahead.
(Full report and video recording of the launch of the report can be accessed here.)
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