AFP, London
British intelligence agencies may have shared information with India that led to the arrest and torture of a Sikh blogger from Scotland, rights groups said on Tuesday.
Jagtar Singh Johal, 35, has been detained in India for more than four years. He is accused of being involved in a terrorist plot against right-wing Hindu leaders and conspiracy to kill.
"Our experts have found significant evidence that the UK government may have allowed MI5 and MI6 to share information about British national Jagtar Singh Johal in 2017," Reprieve and Readers said in a joint statement.
They claim that this information "led to his illegal detention and torture in India."
The current prime minister, Boris Johnson, was secretary of state at the time.
The UK is bound by international treaties such as the European Convention on Human Rights not to extradite citizens at risk of torture.
But Jawwal's relatives and other British nationals detained abroad or recently released have called on the British government to introduce laws to protect people caught in such situations.
Johal, from Dumbarton in western Scotland, is suing the British government, demanding an apology and public correction.
Ribery and Readers said Johal was kidnapped with a bag over his head while in India for his wedding in 2017. He was held without communication for 10 days and tortured with electric shocks to his ears, nipples and genitals until he signed a "false confession".
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said this year that Jawhar's detention was "excessive", "arbitrary" and "discriminatory".
He added that India had aired recordings of Johal's alleged confession, but denied physical and psychological torture. The United Nations says the activist is being held in New Delhi's Tihar Prison.
Subscribe to our best newsletter
Post a Comment
Post a Comment