North East ex-soldiers jailed in India: One year on
Today marks a year since North East men were jailed in India but the fight to get them home is far from over...
Nick Dunn is among six British men – including Catterick’s Nick Simpson – serving a five-year sentence in Indian prison for firearms charges that were originally quashed.
29-year-old Nick – an Afghanistan and Iraq veteran – was working for a US firm protecting ships in pirate infested seas when Indian authorities seized their vessel and arrested them in 2013.
A sentence was handed to the lads after a new trial was announced by the Supreme Court and today we’re still waiting on a judge to deliver their verdict over an appeal submitted in November.
Two prime ministers have now raised the case among other government officials with the Indian government, but Nick’s sister Lisa has doubts over its effectiveness.
She said:
“There must be questions asked of our government when two prime ministers are raising it as a case for concern and yet there are still no developments. Why is this case still encountering the delays?
“Were’ just waiting every day, waking up and wondering are we going to hear something today, is this the day that Nick is going to be free? Then another day passes with nothing, no information… it is soul destroying.
"Every second that he’s languishing in that hell hole that he’s in – there is not a second that I won’t’ be fighting for him to be released.”