UN experts call on India’s government to release Sikh origin blogger
Baku, April 22, AZERTAC
A group of United Nations human rights experts have called for the urgent release of Jagtar Singh Johal, a Scottish citizen of Sikh origin and human rights defender, who has been arbitrarily detained in India for more than eight years, the Baku Initiative Group told AZERTAC.
Johal was arrested in November 2017 for allegedly participating in plotting terrorist attacks targeting right-wing Hindu leaders. Ten UN independent experts said in a joint statement that he has been in detention for more than eight years without a concluded trial, describing his detention as unlawful.
Jagtar Singh Johal is a Sikh community member, blogger, and human rights defender who is also known for criticizing the Indian government’s approach to the Sikh minority. His activity highlights alleged systematic violence against Sikhs, human rights abuses by the state, and discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, aiming to raise awareness internationally.
Experts of the UN Human Rights Council reported that Johal was denied access to his family and legal counsel during the first ten days of his detention. They said there was “no rationale” for the continued detention of Jagtar Singh Johal, and warned that he was enduring “unlawful suffering” and a form of “psychological torture” as a result of the prolonged uncertainty by Indian law enforcement officials.
The statement notes that Johal was found not guilty of terrorism charges in March 2025, but he is still in prison. Experts characterized this as a violation of the presumption of innocence, repeated prosecution for the same allegations, and misuse of anti-terror laws.
They urged the Indian government to withdraw all baseless charges, release Johal immediately, and investigate the torture allegations independently.
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