Jagtar Singh Johal

Extra Bio Info:

Jagtar Singh Johal is detained for his religious belief and for documenting religious freedom violations.

On November 4, 2017, 15 unidentified men in Rama Mandi, Jalandhar, Punjab, abducted Johal after his wedding in Jalandhar. The following day, Johal appeared a duty magistrate in Bagha Purana where no formal charges were filed against him. Authorities later released a press statement that Johal was among other suspects accused of “being involved in a series of killings carried out in collaboration with Pakistani intelligence operatives as part of a conspiracy to fan communal disturbances and destabilize the State.” Prior to his arrest, Johal, a British citizen, was an online activist and contributed to a website that documented human rights violations and persecution of Sikhs in India. 

Between November 4, 2017, to November 7, 2017, police interrogated and tortured Johal by using electric shocks, forcing his limbs into painful positions, and depriving him of sleep. Authorities have reportedly failed to investigate Johal’s allegations of torture.

Between November 4, 2017, to November 14, 2017, Johal was held incommunicado and denied adequate legal counsel.

On December 6, 2017, police from Ludhiana arrested Johal for allegedly killing a member of a far-right Hindu political party in January 2017.

On December 7, 2017, local news organizations aired video footage of Johal’s alleged confession, despite no references being made in the video to the crimes he was charged with.

On or around December 11, 2017, Khanna police arrested Johal for allegedly killing a Hindu leader in April 2016.

In May 2019, Punjab police and the National Investigative Agency filed charges against Johal in 10 cases related to “crimes of conspiracy and funding and recruiting for terrorist activities related to attacks on members of right-wing Hindu nationalist political groups and religious leaders in Punjab allegedly by the Khalistan Liberation Force.” Johal was charged with conspiracy (Sec. 120B IPC), murder (Sec. 302 IPC), terrorist acts (Sec. 16 UAPA), using arms (Sec. 27 Arms Act), and more. Charges against Johal are reportedly based primarily on confessions he made obtained under torture.

On January 7, 2021, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police arrested Johal in another case accusing him of being involved in the murder of another individual in October 2020, despite Johal being in Tihar Jail.

Between January 9, 2021, and January 16, 2021, Johal was held incommunicado.

In May 2022, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared Johal’s detention arbitrary and called for his immediate release.  In their opinion, the Working Group stated that it believes Johal was targeted “because of his activities as a Sikh practitioner and supporter and because of his activism in writing public posts calling for accountability for alleged actions committed against Sikhs by the authorities.” It added that Johal was “deprived of his liberty on discriminatory grounds, owing to his status as a human rights defender and based on his political activism, religious faith and opinions.”

Johal is currently being held in Tihar Jail.