No sign language on hand at trial of deaf drugs defendant

Date: 24/01/02

THE head of the European Commission's New Delhi delegation has been asked to intervene in the case of a deaf charity worker imprisoned in India for a drugs offence.

Ian Stillman, who is profoundly deaf and has only one leg, was convicted last year of possession of 20-kilogrammes of cannabis and sentenced to ten years in jail.

He was the only person arrested among a group travelling in a taxi in which police claim they found a bag containing the drugs.

Stillman, who denies the bag was his, had his appeal against conviction rejected last week.

His supporters claim he was denied sign language interpretation from the moment of arrest to his trial in June, which was conducted in Hindi.

The judge at the original hearing accused Stillman, an internationally known adviser on deaf issues and charity work, of faking his handicap.

Following last week's court ruling, MEPs from three parties and the UK-based civil liberties group, Fair Trials Abroad, are calling on India to review the case in its Supreme Court.

Socialist deputy Richard Howitt, Conservative Nirj Deva and Liberal Democrat Liz Lynne have written to Michel Callouet, head of the Commission delegation to India, asking him to intervene in the case.

The MEPs say sign language interpretation is the 'most basic' component of a fair trial for a deaf defendant.

Stillman, a Briton who has been deaf since the age of two, learned to speak by the throat vibration method and can also lip-read in English.

Lynne, the European Parliament's rapporteur for the Year of Disabled People in 2003, insists Stillman did not get a fair trial.

'I believe the judge was told Stillman was seen speaking in English to someone but he revealed his ignorance. Stillman cannot hear anything and he should have had a British sign language interpreter at his trial,' she said.

'The hearing was conducted in Hindi, which he does not understand, so he could not lip read.'

The head of the European Commission's New Delhi delegation has been asked to intervene in the case of a deaf charity worker imprisoned in India for a drugs offence.