JAILED charity worker Ian Stillman, who is serving ten years in an Indian prison after being convicted of possessing cannabis, today lost his appeal against his conviction.
The decision has dealt a blow to the hopes of his parents Roy and Monica, who live in Tadcaster Road, York.
His father, Roy, said: "It has left us feeling a bit flat really. We and all of Ian's supporters, here and all over the world, were expecting a positive result, but we are obviously up against formidable obstacle.
"Certainly any case heard in that state is going to go the way the prosecution has outlined."
The appeal was denied by High Court judges in India and Ian's family heard of the decision on TV news this morning. The reasoning behind the decision will not be published until next week.
The Stillman family now plans to take his case to the Indian Supreme Court and also to lobby members of the European Parliament, who, they say, have greater influence in human rights cases than domestic MPs.
Roy Stillman said that despite the blow of today's decision, the family and Ian's supporters were determined to continue the fight to clear his name.
He said: "We can't just leave him to sit out a ten-year sentence for something he didn't do. We are obviously going to pursue it, not just for Ian's personal benefit but for all of the handicapped community in India who are disadvantaged by the Indian justice system. A victory for Ian would also be a victory for human rights."
Mr Stillman, 51, who is deaf and has an artificial leg following a road accident, was jailed last June after being arrested in the foothills of the Himalayas in August 2000 and later charged with possessing 20 kilos of cannabis.
In prison in Simla, he has suffered some health problems and for a time was confined to a wheelchair. During the appeal, Stillman's lawyers argued that the trial was unfair, claiming his deafness excluded him from the proceedings. Indian police claimed to have found a green bag containing cannabis but Stillman said he had never seen it before.
Updated: 10:41 Friday, January 11, 2002
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