cotland’s First Minister has vowed to maintain lobbying for the discharge of a Scottish Sikh blogger who has been jailed in India for greater than 5 years.
Humza Yousaf made the pledge throughout a gathering with the brother of Jagtar Singh Johal on the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Singh Johal from Dumbarton was in Punjab in northern India for his marriage ceremony in 2017 when his household say he was arrested and bundled into an unmarked automotive.
The Sikh Federation (UK) says Mr Singh Johal was kidnapped by Indian plain garments cops whereas procuring together with his spouse Gurpreet Kaur.
He stated he has been tortured, together with by electrical shocks, and faces the loss of life penalty over his activism and campaigning for Sikh human rights.
Following his assembly with Gurpreet Singh Johal on Tuesday, Mr Yousaf stated the Scottish Authorities has raised the case instantly with the Indian Authorities on quite a few events and would proceed lobbying the International, Commonwealth and Improvement Workplace (FCDO) and UK Authorities “to make use of each lever at their disposal to name for Jagtar’s launch”.
“Jagtar Singh Johal has now been imprisoned for greater than 2,000 days, and I stay gravely involved at his continued detention and allegations of his mistreatment and torture in custody,” the First Minister stated in a press release.
“I do know this has been a particularly troublesome and distressing time for his household, and their resilience within the face of this ordeal has been extraordinary.
“We proceed to name for Jagtar’s quick launch according to the suggestions of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.”
The Authorities has been criticised for taking a “very very long time” to resolve Mr Johal’s case, with the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe accusing MI5 and MI6 of supplying info that led to the Scottish Sikh blogger’s abduction and torture.
Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was launched from jail in Iran in March 2022, joined a protest in central London final yr yr to name on the UK Authorities to do extra for Mr Singh Johal.
“There are a selection of British residents being held unlawfully abroad,” he instructed these in attendance.
“There are roughly 100 British residents tortured by international governments annually and what number of of them have you ever heard of?
“You’ve heard of Jaggi, you’ve heard of Nazanin – most of them you haven’t.”
Earlier this yr, SNP MP Martin Docherty-Hughes (West Dunbartonshire) instructed a Home of Commons debate: “I would like the Authorities to see by the speeches and interventions made within the Home at the moment that members throughout this Home, throughout events and throughout the nations of those islands haven’t any intention of forgetting Jagtar Singh Johal.
“I would like the UK Authorities to see that the selection they made to not deem his continued detention an arbitrary one, till just lately, to not be with out penalties.
“To see that even 5 years on we can be right here and for an additional 5 years if that’s certainly vital. And, to as soon as once more, ask them by the minister to name for his quick launch.”
A panel of UN authorized specialists has stated Mr Singh Johal’s detention is unfair, “lacks authorized foundation” and is predicated on “discriminatory grounds” owing to his Sikh religion and his “standing as a human rights defender”.
The UN stated the suitable decision can be to launch Mr Singh Johal instantly and accord him an enforceable proper to compensation and different reparations, in accordance with worldwide legislation.
Supply hyperlink
