India - May 2024

On 10 May, Arvind Kejriwal, leader of the Aam Admi Party (ADP) and Delhi State Chief Minister, was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court (SC) until 1 June, allowing him to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. Kejriwal had been arrested in March on corruption charges, which critics argued were politically motivated. While his supporters welcomed the decision, viewing it as an affirmation of due process and a fairer playing field, Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticized the judgment, claiming it was not “routine” and suggested preferential treatment. The SC denied these allegations, stating that “we said in our order what we felt was justified.”

Update: On 13 September, India's Supreme Court granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal, citing that his trial is unlikely to be completed for some time and that his "prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty." Kejriwal had been in jail for nearly five months.

Sources: International IDEA, Times of India, The Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, The Economic Times, BBC News