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Chamber and committees

Jagtar Singh Johal, Detained for Three Years

  • Submitted by: Jackie Baillie, Dumbarton, Scottish Labour.
  • Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2020
  • Motion reference: S5M-23202

That the Parliament understands that Jagtar Singh Johal will have been detained for three years on 4 November 2020 by Indian authorities for a crime that he denies committing; notes that Mr Johal, who is a resident of Dumbarton, has been held in a prison in the New Delhi Punjab region without charge and trial; understands with concern reports that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Jagtar has been subjected to repeated outbreaks of police torture, including electric shocks, body separation techniques, death and immolation threats during his imprisonment; condemns reports that he was not given access to consulate support or a lawyer in the immediate days of his detention, or given an independent medical and psychological examination following the claims of torture; believes that no evidence has been presented against him in court and that little progress has been made with his trial since Jagtar was arrested in 2017; commends the peaceful protests held by Sikh people across Scotland that have been calling on the UK Government to take immediate action to support Jagtar and his family, and calls on the Scottish Government to raise his case with the Foreign Office, the Foreign Secretary and the Indian High Commissioner to urge them to do everything in their power to protect Jagtar and ensure that he receives a fair trial and is given the same treatment and support as any other detained British citizen.


Supported by: Neil Bibby, Sarah Boyack, Iain Gray, John Mason, Pauline McNeill, Colin Smyth