A SCOTTISH man who has spent nearly nine years in a jail in India without conviction has been granted bail, his family has said.
Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was arrested by Indian authorities in 2017, just weeks after his wedding in the country, and has been detained there ever since.
The 39-year-old was acquitted last year in a case in which he was accused of financially supporting a terror group, but he still faces federal charges by the Indian authorities.
His family has said they are still waiting for the details of what will happen next for Johal after he was granted bail but are “relieved” by the Indian court's decision, according to BBC News.
Johal’s imprisonment was recognised by a UN panel as arbitrary detention in 2022 and he has claimed to have been tortured.
Indian authorities have previously denied the torture claim and have repeatedly maintained that due process is being followed.
Johal’s supporters say he was targeted for blogging about alleged human rights abuses against the Sikh community in India.
His brother Gurpreet Singh Johal has lobbied successive UK governments in a bid to get his release.
In April, 10 UN experts called on the Indian government to release Johal without delay.
In a statement, they said: “Eight-and-a-half years of arbitrary detention without a clear path to trial is not justice, it is unlawful suffering.
“The prolonged uncertainty alone is a form of psychological torture.”
They added: “International law is unequivocal: torture includes severe mental suffering caused by prolonged uncertainty while awaiting trial.”
Johal has been represented in the UK by the legal charities Redress and Reprieve, which have also repeatedly called for more action from successive UK governments.
