TODAY marks 1000 days of incarceration without trial for Scotsman Jagtar Singh Johal.
Arrested shortly after his Punjab wedding, the Sikh blogger remains in a cell in India over alleged involvement in a murder conspiracy against right-wing Hindu figures, but no evidence has been heard against him.
This afternoon his solicitor brother Gurpreet will join MPs Martin Docherty-Hughes and Preet Kaur Gill as well as legal experts for a live webinar on the case as supporters use the hashtag #Jaggi1000 on social media to draw attention to his treatment.
This includes allegations of torture which have never been properly investigated.
In November 2019, an independent analysis by the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, the world’s leading centre on the physical and psychological effects of torture, concluded there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that the 33-year-old was tortured, and highlighted “an urgent need for Mr Johal to undergo an independent medical examination and psychological evaluation”. More than 70 UK members of parliament have signed a letter raising concerns about the case.
While she was prime minister, Theresa May raised Jagtar’s case with Indian leader Narendra Modi and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has sent two urgent communications to the Indian government about Jagtar’s case, most recently in November 2019.
The UK Government says it is “following developments in Jagtar’s case closely” and is “active in raising concerns with the Indian authorities, including his unresolved torture allegations and his right to a fair trial”, with meetings recently held between Jagtar’s family and Foreign Office minister Lord Tariq Ahmad.
Commenting today, Charlie Loudon, international legal adviser for the charity Redress, said: “The UK Government needs to use all diplomatic and legal means at its disposal to ensure Jagtar’s right to a fair trial and the investigation of his torture allegations as a matter of urgency.”
The webinar will be available to view at Docherty-Hughes’s YouTube channel from 1pm.
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