The brother of detained Scot Jagtar Singh Johal fears that the Dumbarton, was in Northern India for his wedding in 2017 when he was locked up and accused of being involved in a political murder plot.
An investigation by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found there was no legal basis for his imprisonment. However, the 36-year-old has remained in prison facing the death penalty, while his family have tirelessly campaigned for his release.
Jagtar claims he has been tortured with methods including electric shocks over his activism and campaigning for Sikh human rights.
(Image: Lennox Herald)
Gurpreet Singh Johal said: “I am pleased that the Prime Minister has raised my brother’s case with his counterpart, but raising is not enough unless he has called for Jagtar’s release in line with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s findings.
“Clearly, the Prime Minister had no option other than to raise Jagtar’s case, after so many MPs demanded he do so.
“I fear that this is just more talk from the UK government and no action. The campaign continues until Jagtar is back home in Scotland.”
While travelling on the plane to New Delhi, Sunak told reporters the case had been raised multiple times.
He said: “Both the Foreign Secretary and Foreign Office ministers have raised this case on multiple occasions with their counterparts. We understand what his family are going through and want to make sure that the process works and that justice is done appropriately as well.”
Adding: “I’ll be raising a range of things with Prime Minister Modi. This is something that, just so people are reassured, has already been raised on multiple levels on multiple occasions.”
(Image: PA)
Maya Foa, director of Reprieve, who have been campaigning on behalf of Jagtar, said: “Theresa May ‘raised’ Jagtar’s case. So did Boris Johnson. But six years after his abduction and torture he’s still in prison, facing a possible death sentence for something he didn’t do.
“The government often says ministers have raised the case a hundred times, as if that makes their failure to seek the release of an arbitrarily detained British national any less shameful.
“What did Rishi Sunak say to Narendra Modi about the case and how did he respond? Without answers to these questions, the Prime Minister’s talk is meaningless.”
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletter <a href="https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/" target="_blank" data-link-tracking="InArticle