DEAF charity worker Ian Stillman's imprisonment in an Indian jail will be justified if it improves the lives of the country's disabled, his sister said today.

Elspeth Dugdale said Ian, 51, whose parents live in Tadcaster Road, York, and who had a leg amputated after a road accident, had devoted most of his life to the country's deaf, before being jailed for possession of cannabis - a charge he has always denied.

But if an appeal against his conviction can change the country's treatment of the disabled, he would consider it all worthwhile, she said.

"Ian's appeal has the potential to be a landmark case which could change the way the deaf and disabled in India are treated," she said.

"That would make sense of the whole silly business. Ian has been trying to change people's perception of the deaf in India since he arrived there 27 years ago. If this achieves that, he will be happy." Ian's campaigners are trying to have an appeal against his conviction heard in the country's Supreme Court.

It is based on the fact that he was denied any translation of the proceedings during his trial, which was in Hindi. Ian, who has been profoundly deaf since childhood, can only lip read English - effectively excluding him from his own trial.

Stephen Jakobi, the director of human rights group Fair Trials Abroad, has called his case "the worst miscarriage of justice I have dealt with."

The Evening Press launched a campaign to free him last week.

If the Supreme Court overturns his conviction, it would set a precedent that would mean India's deaf people have to be listened to.

"In India, the attitude is that disabled people are being punished for something they have done in a previous life, that they have brought it on themselves," said Elspeth.

"Ian has always worked to change that and, if this goes towards achieving that, then Ian would consider the whole episode to have been worthwhile.

"He would think that is what this is all about, that is the reason why it happened."

Ian and his wife, Sue, set up the Nambikkai Foundation which has taught independence skills to more than 1,000 deaf Indians.

His work has sparked support across the world, with demonstrations in India and backing in countries including the USA, Ireland, New Zealand - and even Ethiopia.

The Evening Press is calling on readers to sign a petition asking the Indian Government to free him.

Updated: 12:01 Thursday, April 04, 2002