India Signs Prisoner Transfer Agreement with 31 Countries to Repatriate Inmates
New Delhi: India has signed bilateral agreements with 31 countries to facilitate the transfer of Indian prisoners incarcerated abroad.
These agreements allow Indian citizens serving sentences overseas to be repatriated to India to serve the remainder of their sentences. The announcement was made by Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in response to a query by Congress MP Anil Kumar Yadav Mandadi in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Minister Singh detailed that India has reached agreements with countries including Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Egypt, Estonia, France, Iran, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
He emphasized that the Indian government prioritizes the safety, security, and well-being of its citizens abroad, including those imprisoned in foreign jails. Indian missions abroad remain vigilant and monitor incidents where Indian nationals are detained for alleged violations of local laws. Upon receiving information about the arrest or detention of any Indian citizen, Indian missions immediately contact local authorities and work to ensure consular access.
The minister also highlighted that India has signed two multilateral conventions concerning prisoner transfer: the Inter-American Convention on Serving Criminal Sentences and the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. These agreements enable convicted individuals from member nations, and other signatory countries, to request transfer back to their home countries to complete their sentences.
Report by Saswat Tiwari
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