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BBC News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
MPs call for 'quick' action to free Jagtar Singh Johal
More than 100 MPs and peers have written to the foreign secretary calling for "quick and decisive" action to secure the release of a Scottish Sikh man in prison in Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was arrested in November 2017 in connection with terror-related has not been convicted of any crime and in March was cleared in one of nine cases against Foreign Office has been approached for comment and has previously said the UK government remains committed to working for faster progress on the case. Mr Johal's family and legal team had hoped India's Supreme Court would issue a ruling on Thursday on whether he would be granted bail but they say there was no decision and no timeframe for the matter to be Johal is accused of being a member of a terror group, the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), which has carried out attacks in the Punjab region. The charges against him stated that he travelled to Paris in 2013 and delivered £3,000 to other KLF figures, with the money then used to purchase weapons which were used in a series of murders and attacks against Hindu nationalist and other religious leaders across 2016 and Johal claims he was tortured in the early days of his detention and forced to make a letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy has been signed by cross-party MPs and says there is a "window of opportunity" to secure Jagtar's release following his acquittal in one of the cases against letter says: "The judgement on the evidence led is crucial and relevant to securing his release, because it is the same evidence that exists in the other outstanding federal court cases."The 38-year-old's family says the Lammy has agreed to meet them on 8 have repeatedly called for the UK government to do more to secure his release through diplomatic channels with the Indian government. 'Wasted years' Mr Johal's brother Gurpreet Singh Johal, who is also a Labour councillor, said: "I'm glad the foreign secretary is meeting me again, as it shows he recognises that this is a make-or-break moment for Jagtar. "The case against my brother has been tested in court and rejected, but the Indian authorities will keep him in prison for decades if the UK government doesn't act to secure his release. "We've seen that today at the Supreme Court – just the latest in an endless series of delays. This is the moment of truth for David Lammy: will he live up to his promises, or will he fail Jagtar like the last six foreign secretaries did?"Dan Dolan, deputy executive director of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Reprieve, said it was time for the government to said: "The previous UK government wasted years of Jagtar Singh Johal's life, hiding behind the fiction that due process is possible in a case based on a torture confession. "This is a politically motivated prosecution of a young British human rights defender, and the process is the punishment."The letter to Lammy was issued by the Labour MP for Jagtar's constituency, Douglas McAllister, who said the cross-party support was very significant. He said: "The failure to grant bail to my constituent, Jagtar Singh Johal, serves to demonstrate the need for greater urgency by the foreign secretary and the UK government to secure my constituent's immediate release and his return to his family in West Dunbartonshire. "I will be advising the foreign secretary when we meet next week of the strength of feeling across both houses that now is the time to act."The Indian government has repeatedly denied that Mr Johal was mistreated and has said due process has been followed in the case against him.
Saudi Gazette
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Scottish man acquitted in India terror case
NEW DELHI — A Scottish Sikh man detained in India for seven years on terror charges has been cleared in one of nine cases against him. Jagtar Singh Johal from Dumbarton was arrested in 2017 in the country's northern Punjab region weeks after his wedding there. He has been held in prison ever since, on trial for his alleged role in a series of targeted killings of religious and political figures. Now a verdict in the District Court in Moga, Punjab, has acquitted him of conspiracy under the country's anti-terror law and of being a member of a "terrorist gang". His legal team say the allegations against Johal in all the cases, for which he faces the death penalty, are close to identical and that the other charges should now be dismissed. His brother Gurpreet Singh Johal has called on the UK government to secure the 38-year-old's told BBC Scotland News: "My brother has had seven years of his life wasted in jail. The UK government needs to bring him home."A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) welcomed the progress in the case."The UK government remains committed to working for faster progress on Jagtar's case, and the FCDO continue to work to support Johal and his family," it was accused of being a member of a terror group, the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), which has carried out attacks in the Punjab charges against him stated that he traveled to Paris in 2013 and delivered £3,000 to other KLF figures, with the money then used to purchase weapons which were used in a series of murders and attacks against Hindu nationalist and other religious leaders across 2016 and supporters say that in early November 2017, shortly after his wedding, Johal was snatched from the street and driven away by plainclothes officers of the Punjab say that in the days following his arrest he was tortured and coerced into signing a false confession to participation in the legal representatives also say that the prosecution against him is political due to his activism documenting crimes and atrocities against Sikhs in the Punjab region in the 1980s, and that he has been the victim of an unfair legal Indian government denies that Johal was mistreated in the custody of the Punjab Police and has said due process has been followed in the case against has been contacted for its response to the case has taken seven years to reach this point and has been beset by court verdict in Moga marks the most significant development since it began, with a judge ruling that, in one case at least, the charges should not stand and he should be other terror cases remain against will be heard in the courts in Delhi and are brought by the Indian government's anti-terror branch, the National Investigation legal representatives say he should now be cleared of all the charges and freed to return to his family in the brother said: "The light at the end of the tunnel is now getting brighter."They said no concrete evidence had been presented against him and that the case was built on the testimony of unreliable witnesses, some of whom have given statements against him only for them to be later recanted in said a number of witnesses against Johal were declared "hostile" during the proceedings after refusing to stand by the statements they gave to the police, while the prosecution failed to produce other witnesses his arrest there has been a campaign for Johal's release and his case has been the subject of diplomatic discussions between the UK and Indian May 2022, a UN panel of human rights experts found that his detention was arbitrary, and called for his immediate concluded Johal was discriminated against "owing to his status as a human rights defender and based on his political activism, religious faith and opinions," something his family had asserted since his Dunbartonshire MP Douglas McAllister said the case presented a "unique opportunity to secure a resolution with the Indian authorities" and bring Johal home."Without decisive diplomatic action, he faces being imprisoned for decades while the remaining trials drag on, despite the complete lack of credible evidence against him," he Dolan, from human rights campaign group Reprieve, added: "For Jagtar to remain imprisoned and facing a death sentence after this acquittal would be a mockery of justice." — BBC
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jagtar Singh Johal acquitted in India terror case
A Scottish Sikh man detained in India for seven years has been acquitted in one of the nine cases against him. Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, faces several terror charges in connection with political violence in the north of India but has never been convicted. The 37-year-old was arrested in Punjab in November 2017, just weeks after his wedding there. His family and legal team said all the cases against him are similar and the other eight should now be dropped. He is accused of travelling to Paris in 2013 to hand over £3,000 to a co-conspirator in the knowledge the money would be used to fund a series of attacks against Hindu nationalists and other religious leaders in Punjab. Mr Johal's trial for the eight most serious cases against him started in 2022 and is ongoing. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jagtar Singh Johal acquitted in India terror case
A Scottish Sikh man detained in India for seven years has been acquitted in one of the nine cases against him. Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, faces several terror charges in connection with political violence in the north of India but has never been convicted. The 37-year-old was arrested in Punjab in November 2017, just weeks after his wedding there. His family and legal team said all the cases against him are similar and the other eight should now be dropped. He is accused of travelling to Paris in 2013 to hand over £3,000 to a co-conspirator in the knowledge the money would be used to fund a series of attacks against Hindu nationalists and other religious leaders in Punjab. Mr Johal's trial for the eight most serious cases against him started in 2022 and is ongoing. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
BBC News
04-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Jagtar Singh Johal acquitted of one charge by Indian court
A Scottish Sikh man detained in India for seven years has been acquitted of one of the nine charges against Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, faces several terror charges in connection with political violence in the north of India but has never been 37-year-old was arrested in Punjab in November 2017, just weeks after his wedding family and legal team said all the cases against him are similar and the other eight should now be dropped. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
