First Minister Humza Yousaf has urged the UK Government to ask for the immediate release of a Scots man imprisoned in India for more than five years. Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was locked up in Punjab, northern India, while he was there for his wedding in 2017 amid accusations he was involved in a political murder plot.
Yousaf has called for PM Rishi Sunak to take a "direct approach" to make progress in the case and said Jagtar had been wrongfully imprisoned. Jagtar's family say he was was arrested and bundled into an unmarked car and all strongly deny accusations against him.
He said he has been tortured, including through electric shocks, and faces the death penalty over his activism and campaigning for Sikh human rights. Yousaf met Gurpreet Singh Johal, the brother of Jagtar Singh Johal, earlier this month and vowed to keep lobbying for his release.
In his letter to Sunak, the First Minister said: "Jagtar has now been imprisoned in India for over 2,000 days. In May 2022, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Jagtar Singh Johal had been arbitrarily detained and his detention breached international human rights law.
"The clear recommendation of the report was that Jagtar Singh Johal should be immediately released. Yet Jagtar remains in prison. I am therefore writing to ask that you make a direct approach to the Government of India to ask for Jagtar's immediate release in line with the UN Working Group's unequivocal recommendation.
"This would give the family the reassurance of knowing that the UK Government is prioritising the protection of a citizen who has been wrongfully imprisoned."
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We have consistently raised our concerns about Mr Johal's case directly with the government of India, including his allegations of torture and his right to a fair trial - we are committed to doing what we can to assist him."
The Foreign Office said it has raised its concerns, including Mr Johal's allegations of torture, with the Indian government on more than 100 occasions and will continue to do so.
It said consular staff visit him regularly to check on his welfare and did so most recently on May 1. They also continue to attend relevant court hearings in an observer capacity.
The Foreign Secretary most recently discussed Mr Johal's case with the Indian external affairs minister in New Delhi on March 1.
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