The UK Government has been urged to seek the release of British national Jagtar Singh Johal, after it was revealed that he is facing a death sentence in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jagtar has been arbitrarily detained since 2017, when he was snatched off the street by plain clothes police three weeks after his wedding. The only evidence against him is a videotaped \u2018confession,\u2019 recorded after he had been severely tortured for several days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This month, the Indian authorities introduced new charges against Jagtar which carry a possible death sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jagtar is a Sikh activist from Dumbarton who sought to draw attention to human rights abuses against India\u2019s Sikh population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conspiracy to which the Indian Government has sought to link Jagtar involves an alleged plot to destabilise the Punjab region by assassinating Hindu leaders, but Indian authorities have produced no evidence for this other than Jagtar\u2019s forced confession under torture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reprieve, Redress and the Free Jaggi Now Campaign have written to the FCDO, setting out the charges against him that carry a maximum sentence of death. These charges are broadly defined, politically motivated, and based on a forced confession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reprieve is concerned that the risk of Jagtar being sentenced to death is high given the politicised nature of this case and the current political climate in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Foreign Secretary has previously said the FCDO calls for the release of British nationals where the Government believes \u201cthey have been arbitrarily detained\u201d, and this approach should be urgently applied in Jagtar’s case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n