THE fiancee of a Scottish ex-soldier jailed in India said she thinks about marrying him “every single day” as she took her justice campaign to Number 10.
Loved ones of six ex-soldiers currently in a “hell hole” prison in Chennai handed in a petition demanding the Government do more to secure their release, marking four years since they were first arrested. The six, who a British lawyer says are victims of a miscarriage of justice, have been held for 1461 days in India.
Yvonne MacHugh, from Paisley, the fiancee of Billy Irving, 37, of Oban, a former member of 1 Para, was accompanied in Downing Street by their two-year-old son William, whom he is yet to spend a day at home with. She said William has now been to India three times to visit his father.
MacHugh said the Government’s efforts “aren’t good enough”, adding: “I want them to openly say ‘We know the men are innocent, release them now’. And fight for them.”
The men were first jailed on weapons charges while working as security guards on ships to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean.
Indian coastguards boarded their vessel, the MV Seaman Guard Ohio, and arrested them for taking weapons into India’s territorial waters in October 2013.
The charges were initially quashed when the men argued the weapons were lawfully held for anti-piracy purposes and their paperwork, issued by the UK Government, was in order.
But a lower court reinstated the prosecution and they were convicted in January last year and sentenced to five years jail.
Since then there has been a series of appeals as the families navigate the tortuous Indian legal system.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here