Keir Starmer urges Boris Johnson to demand release of Scot Jagtar Singh Johal detained in India

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on the Prime Minister to seek the "immediate release" of a Scots man that has been detained in India for five years.

Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was arrested by Indian authorities when travelling to his wedding there in 2017. He is being held without trial under India's anti-terror laws after being accused of conspiring to murder a number of right-wing Hindu leaders.The 35-year-old maintains his innocence and claims he has been tortured by police officers in jail.Earlier this month the UN's Working Group concluded that Jagtar's imprisonment is "arbitrary" and called for his immediate releasing saying the Scot “was targeted because of his activities as a Sikh practitioner and supporter and because of his activism.”Now, Sir Keir has written to Boris Johnson asking why the UK Government hasn't followed the UN's lead and made an official request for Jagtar's release.In a letter shared with the Daily Record, he wrote: "As you will be aware, Jagtar was arrested in 2017 after travelling to India for his wedding where he was tortured by police officers into making a so-called “confession” to charges carrying the death penalty."The UN’s expert panel found that there was no legal basis for Jagtar’s continued detention and highlighted that he has been tortured and denied the right to a fair trial."When a British national has been so gravely mistreated, with no legal basis, the UK Government must act decisively to negotiate their release.

Yet it appears the British Government has not followed the UN’s lead and made an official request for Jagtar’s release."So, on behalf of Jagtar’s family, I would like to ask why this request has not been made and when they can expect your