British Activist Jagtar Singh Johal Acquitted in India Terror Trial but Still Faces Death Penalty Risk

• Mar 5, 2025

British human rights campaigner Jagtar Singh Johal has been acquitted of all charges in a terror case in Punjab, India, after a court dismissed the allegations made against him by Indian authorities. However, despite the ruling, Johal remains in prison as he still faces eight similar cases brought against him by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), all based on the same alleged confession.

Johal has spent seven years in detention awaiting trial. His acquittal is expected to intensify pressure on the UK Foreign Office to secure his release, given that the court, after an extensive investigation, found no credible evidence against him.

His legal team claims Johal was coerced into signing a blank document following severe police torture, including electric shocks and threats of being burned alive. He continues to face the threat of the death penalty in the remaining cases. The primary accusation in all the cases is that Johal transferred funds to alleged co-conspirators, who are said to have used the money to finance attacks in Punjab in 2016-17. However, Indian authorities do not claim that Johal directly participated in these attacks.

Reprieve, the organization representing Johal, stated that prosecutors failed to present any credible evidence in over seven years and nearly 150 court hearings. "NIA prosecutors have had ample time to build a case and yet have produced no physical evidence, no email correspondence, no CCTV footage, no bank transfer records, and no phone call recordings."

Johal’s brother, Gurpreet Singh Johal, expressed relief at the acquittal but emphasized the injustice of his continued imprisonment. "We’ve always said the allegations against Jagtar are baseless, and now the court in Punjab has confirmed this. The entire case against him has been exposed as a fabrication. This should invalidate the remaining NIA cases – there is nothing left to justify his detention. The UK government must step in to end this injustice."

Douglas McAllister, Johal’s Member of Parliament, urged the UK government to act swiftly. "This is a critical opportunity to engage with the Indian authorities and bring this young British man back to his family in Dumbarton. Without decisive diplomatic action, he risks being incarcerated for decades as these unjust trials continue."

Dan Dolan, Executive Director of Reprieve, condemned the ongoing proceedings. "Keeping Jagtar imprisoned and under the threat of execution after this acquittal is a gross violation of justice. The remaining eight cases are essentially identical, which blatantly disregards the double jeopardy principle—an established safeguard in both international and Indian law. These charges should be dropped, and Jagtar should be freed immediately."

Johal’s case continues to draw significant international attention, with human rights advocates calling for urgent action to secure his release and end his prolonged legal ordeal.