London: Campaigners of the #FreeJaggiNow campaign have expressed outrage after learning that UK Foreign Office officials met Punjab’s Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, without mentioning the case of Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi, the Scottish citizen currently confined in a jail in Punjab. Jagtar Singh Jaggi was arrested by Punjab police on 4 November after which he was named in various cases that are being investigated by the NIA.
According to Sikh Press Associated (SikhPA), Jagtar Singh Jaggi’s brother Gurpreet Singh said: ‘This morning I found out from Twitter of all places that the most senior official at the Foreign Office, Sir Simon McDonald, is currently in Punjab, where my brother Jagtar Singh has been in custody without charge for nearly six months.’
‘I am outraged that the Foreign Office has sent its most senior official to Punjab behind my back, not to talk about a British citizen’s human rights, but about post-Brexit trade in Chandigarh. While at the residence of Captain Amrinder Singh in Patiala, Sir Simon was less than 15 miles from Nabha jail, where my brother languishes in custody without charge, without an independent medical examination, and without private consular access’, Gurpeeet Singh reportedly added.
With #JagtarSinghJohal’s co-accused dying in prison, no private meeting, and failure of @foreignoffice to arrange a private meeting, the Sikh community asks does the British government have any interests in Sikh human rights beyond lip-service?
Detention without charge or trial pic.twitter.com/aX2pLDRSaA
— #FreeJaggiNow (@FreeJaggiNow) April 23, 2018
There is a lack of transparency from both Indian & British governments, in India it’s expected, & British government has shown that it values trade over human rights.@SikhCouncilUK @SikhFedUK boycott “Vaiskahi in London” until the government shows sincerity.#FreeJaggiNow https://t.co/92IndkhVDX
— NSYF (@theNSYF) April 23, 2018
A @foreignoffice senior rep is in Punjab meeting @capt_amarinder, just miles from where #JagtarSinghJohal is being detained. Yet, no mention of his case being brought up & no contact to tell his family about the meet.
What is the UK Govt actually doing to help #FreeJaggiNow? https://t.co/L8sIXyn4xe
— SikhPressAssociation (@SikhPA) April 23, 2018
#JagtarSinghJohal has been detained without charge or evidence for nearly 6 months.
In that time Britain has furthered its trade relationships significantly but made zero progress in protecting their citizens human rights. Indian justice has failed Sikhs. #FreeJaggiNow pic.twitter.com/umbFmqwHNG
— #FreeJaggiNow (@FreeJaggiNow) April 23, 2018
The callousness of this meeting, taking place just 45mins from Nabha, is shocking. @foreignoffice has not been able to provide a single response to British diplomatic communications regarding Jaggi, & no investigation of torture or challenge @capt_amarinder’s assertions of guilt
— #FreeJaggiNow (@FreeJaggiNow) April 23, 2018
Jagtar Singh’s local MP, Martin Docherty-Hughes of the Scottish National Party, also tweeted out his thoughts, stating he hoped ‘there was discussion on the case of Jagtar Singh Johal’, whilst also using the hashtag #transparency.
Here’s hoping there was discussion on the case of U.K. citizen #JagtarSinghJohal #FreeJaggiNow #transparency #dueprocess #Openness https://t.co/OPSyUnjbEd
— Martin Docherty-Hughes MP ????????️? (@MartinJDocherty) April 23, 2018