UK Labour MEP Urged to Lead Delegation of EU Politicians to Meet Sikh Constituent in Portugal Jail

Labour MEP Neena Gill

LONDON, UK—Neena Gill, the Labour MEP from the West Midlands will today meet with the family of Paramjeet Singh, who has been detained by authorities in Portugal since December 18 and is threatened with the possibility of extradition to India.  The meeting is taking place at 8pm at Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Smethwick.

His family, friends and community representatives are expected to appeal to her to visit Paramjeet Singh in Beja Prison where he will remain until 15 February. They will also ask her to arrange for a delegation of MEPs to meet Francisca Van Dunem, the Portuguese Minister for Justice to emphasise Paramjeet Singh was granted refugee status in the UK in 2000 and can not be extradited.  They will request the extradition is stopped and Paramjeet Singh sent back to the UK as soon as possible.

The campaign seeking his release and return to the UK to be reunited with his family in Smethwick has reached a critical stage.  Ana Gomes a Portuguese centre-left MEP is backing the campaign for the release of Paramjeet Singh.  Other MEPs, like Sion Simon, Labour MEP from the West Midlands has been active looking at various legal options from a European perspective.  Other MEPs from other parts of the UK, such as Anniliese Dodds, Labour MEP from the South East and Jean Lambert, Green MEP from London have also been very vocal in their support.

Some in the community are expected to express their disquiet this evening that Neena Gill, who herself is a Sikh has been less than active, possibly indicating she may be under pressure from the Indian authorities.  They will point out that Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Leader and Tom Watson, the Deputy Leader of the labour Party have been actively supporting the campaign for Paramjeet Singh’s release and to be returned to the UK.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Only recently the Home Secretary [Conservative] has stated that they could not interfere with extradition of Bhai Paramjit Singh Pamma by the Indian Authorities….. Do sikhs want to vote for this party? Conservatives are invited in our Gurdwaras when the its all happy time like in Vaisakhi and shame on those sikhs that do …. are Conservatives now listening to what we want? No dont support them!!!!

  2. Those British MEPs and MPs – and they probably will be Conservatives – not prepared to back Pamma’s case for freedom should be exposed to the Sikh community in Britain so that you know who NOT to vote for and make it clear that this is the reason why. The Conservative Party in Britain has still not apologised and admitted that their doyen Margaret Thatcher was both wrong and duplicitious in her shameful collusion with Indira Gandhi in 1984 and indeed with Rajiv Gandhi in 1984 and 1985 when she instructed her Home Secretary Lionel Britain (a Conservative MP and Lord who has died recently with alleged child abuse allegations made against him) to ban British Sikhs from protest marching in London as was their democratic right at the behest of the Indian Government.

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