Humza Yousaf urges PM to behave over case of blogger jailed in India
S
cotland’s First Minister has written to the Prime Minister urging him to ask the Indian authorities to launch a Scottish Sikh blogger who has been in jail there for greater than 5 years.
Humza Yousaf mentioned that Jagtar Singh Johal has been wrongfully imprisoned and urged Rishi Sunak to take a “direct approach” to make progress within the case.
Mr Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was in Punjab in northern India for his wedding ceremony in 2017 when his household say he was arrested and bundled into an unmarked automotive.
He mentioned he has been tortured, together with by way of electrical shocks, and faces the dying penalty over his activism and campaigning for Sikh human rights.
Mr Yousaf met Gurpreet Singh Johal, the brother of Jagtar Singh Johal, earlier this month and vowed to maintain lobbying for his launch.
In his letter to Mr Sunak, the First Minister mentioned: “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 mentioned: “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 mentioned it has raised its considerations, together with Mr Johal’s allegations of torture, with the Indian authorities on greater than 100 events and can proceed to take action.
It mentioned consular employees go to him often to verify on his welfare and did so most not too long ago on May 1. They additionally proceed to attend related courtroom hearings in an observer capability.
The Foreign Secretary most not too long ago mentioned Mr Johal’s case with the Indian exterior affairs minister in New Delhi on March 1.