Biography
Aditya Aswani, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, is an animal-rights activist and one of four co-defendants — alongside Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) co-founder Wayne Hsiung — charged in Dane County, Wisconsin over the March 15, 2026 "open rescue" at Ridglan Farms, a beagle-breeding and research facility in Blue Mounds. About 27 people were arrested at the scene and the sheriff later referred charges against dozens more. Aswani was charged in April 2026 with four felonies — burglary (as party to a crime), criminal damage to property, theft, and attempted theft — carrying a combined maximum of roughly 31 years, and pleaded not guilty on May 21, 2026 after release on a $10,000 bond. Trial is set for September 28–October 9, 2026 before Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland.
He was jailed twice: held in the Dane County Jail from March 15 to March 17, 2026 after the rescue itself, released without formal charges being filed at that time, and again from April 18 to April 21, 2026 on the felony counts, until release on the $10,000 cash bond.
