A campaign group has been launched to save 17 Indian nationals sentenced to death in the United Arab Emirates.

The Sharjah Prisoners’ Justice Group was launched in Leicester by the Indian Workers’ Association after 17 migrant workers were sentenced to death last March.

The men, all from Punjab and aged 21 to 25, were arrested in January 2009, after a Pakistani man was killed and three more were injured during a fight in the Emirate of Sharjah.

The campaign group aims to provide financial support to the 17 men and call on the British government to put pressure on the courts in Sharjah to rescind the sentence.

Sital Singh Gill, general secretary of the Leicestershire Indian Workers’ Association, is the chairman of the new group.

He said: “This is a very serious matter for 17 people to be given the death sentence and we believe it is totally unfair.

“We will do everything that is possible to try to help them.”

He said the group would look to raise funds for legal support and said two members planned to travel to Sharjah later this week to try and meet the men.

Lawyers who have visited the men in Sharjah claim they were tortured into confessing, denied a fair trial and forced to sign documents in Arabic, despite not speaking the language.

The precise facts relating to the charges and the treatment of the prisoners have not been made available.

Among those who attended last week’s meeting was Leicester City Councillor Parmjit Singh Gill.

He said he was supporting the group for a number of reasons.

He said: “Firstly there is the possibility of a huge miscarriage of justice, if the 17 accused are not given a fair trial, in a language that they can understand and with proper legal representation.

“Secondly, there is the issue of human rights which were not afforded to the accused.

“It is alleged that, while detained, the 17 were brutally tortured in order to secure confessions, although not a single one is known to have confessed.

“Thirdly, there is the issue that while being tortured, it is alleged that articles of the Sikh faith were desecrated and the religion mocked by the torturers.

“This is contrary to the basic human right to be able to practice your faith without religious persecution.”

Mr Gill said an appeal hearing is due to take place in Sharjah next Wednesday.

He said he would be pursuing the matter in an effort to obtain “a fair trial and get more information about the case”.

Leicester East MP Keith Vaz, has also pledged his support to the group.

He said: “I am extremely concerned at the events relating to the 17 Indian national migrant workers who are accused of murder.

“I am deeply saddened by this event and I hope there will be a just outcome for all those involved.

“I will be making representations to the Saudi Arabian government regarding this.”