As per the information available with the Ministry of External Affairs, the number of Indian prisoners, including undertrials, in foreign jails at present is 10,152, the government informed Parliament on Friday.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written response to a query in the Lok Sabha shared country-wise data on such prisoners.
The data shared under the head ‘total number of Indians under trail and convicted in foreign jails at present’ included for 86 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Nepal, Pakistan, the US, Sri Lanka, Spain, Russia, Israel, China, Bangladesh and Argentina.
As per the data shared in his response, 2,633 Indian prisoners are in jails in Saudi Arabia and 2,518 such prisoners are in jails in the UAE.
According to the data, 1,317 Indian prisoners are in jails in Nepal, while the corresponding numbers in Pakistan and Sri Lanka stand at 266 and 98 respectively.
“As per the information available with the Ministry, the number of Indian prisoners, including undertrials, in foreign prisons at present is 10,152,” Singh said.
The government was asked whether it has come to its notice that a large number of Indians, especially people from Kerala, are boarded in jails in Qatar after the FIFA World Cup.
“As per the information available with the Ministry, the number of Indian prisoners, including undertrials, in Qatari jails is 611. However, due to strong privacy laws, Government of Qatar does not share information on prisoners unless the person concerned consents to the disclosure of such information. Therefore, state-wise data of Indian prisoners is not available,” Singh said.
“Moreover, the government has not noticed any abnormal increase in number of Indian prisoners in Qatari jails after the World Cup,” he said.
In his response, the Union minister underlined that the government attaches “high priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indians in foreign countries, including those in the foreign jails”.
“Indian Missions/Posts abroad remain vigilant and closely monitor the incidents of Indian nationals being put in jail in foreign countries for violation/alleged violation of local laws. As soon as the information about the detention/arrest of an Indian national is received by an Indian Mission/Post, it immediately gets in touch with the local Foreign Office and other concerned local authorities to get consular access to the detained/arrested Indian national to ascertain the facts of the case, confirm his or her Indian nationality and ensure his or her welfare,” he added.
The Indian Missions and Posts remain vigilant to ensure that rights of the Indian prisoners in foreign jails are protected, Singh said.
Apart from extending all possible consular assistance to the Indians imprisoned abroad, the Indian Missions and Posts also assist in providing legal aid wherever needed. Missions and Posts also maintain a local panel of lawyers where the Indian community is in sizeable numbers, the government said.
“No fee is charged from any Indian prisoner for extending facilities by the Indian Embassy concerned. The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) is set up in Indian Missions & Posts abroad for assisting overseas Indian nationals in distress situations on a means tested basis in deserving cases,” Singh said.
The support extended under the ICWF includes financial assistance to the Indian prisoners for legal aid as well as travel documents and air tickets during repatriation. The issue of release and repatriation of the Indian nationals in foreign prisons is regularly pursued by the Indian Missions and Posts abroad with the local authorities concerned, the minister said.
“Missions/Posts abroad also approach the law enforcement agencies to complete the investigation and judicial proceedings at the earliest possible. The government also follows up this issue during consular and other consultations with other countries.
“In addition, the government, through its Missions/Posts abroad and during high level visits, also takes up and pursues grant of amnesty/commutation of sentences of Indian prisoners in foreign countries. India has also entered into prisoner transfer treaties with many nations that allow a person convicted of a crime to be transferred to his or her home country to serve the prison sentence,” he said.
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