An SNP MP will today call on the UK Government to urgently act on the imprisonment in India of Dumbarton man Jagtar Singh Johal.
Martin Docherty-Hughes MP, who represents West Dunbartonshire, will use a general debate at Westminster to call for Mr Johal’s immediate release, with the legal case around arbitrary detention now beyond doubt.
While Boris Johnson previously acknowledged Jagtar's arbitrary detention, and Liz Truss met with the family last year, Mr Docherty-Hughes argues Rishi Sunak has yet to reach out since becoming Prime Minister.
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Jagtar Singh Johal has been detained since 2017, when his family says he was forced into an unmarked car before being tortured. In May, he was formally charged with conspiracy to commit murder and being a member of a terrorist gang.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has determined that Mr Johal’s detention "lacks legal basis", was based on “discriminatory grounds” owing to his Sikh faith and his “status as a human rights defender”, and that he was “subjected to torture”.
International human rights groups ‘Reprieve and Redress’ have called on the UK government to intervene urgently in the case, citing concerns that Jagtar faces trumped-up political charges carrying the death penalty.
Mr Docherty-Hughes said: “My constituent Jagtar’s case is turning into one of the most prominent miscarriages of justice of our time.
“After 5 years of incarceration in India without trial, believed tortured, this young Scot from Dumbarton is at risk of facing the death penalty.
“The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has made clear that Jagtar’s detention ‘lacks legal basis’ and that he has been ‘subjected to torture’.
“This cannot continue. The UK government needs to catch up with the legal consensus and urgently change its strategy.
“We witnessed first-hand, through the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori, that the UK government can bring their people home. We must see a similar approach with Mr Johal.
“Jagtar Singh Johal and his family have suffered for too long - it is time to bring him home.”
A UK Government 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 Secretary visited India and raised his case with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on 29 October 2022.
“The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle and we will continue to make this clear to the Government of India."
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