UK authorities charge man who tried to kill Queen Elizabeth II
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Jaswant Singh Chail had been arrested on Christmas Day last year in possession of a crossbow in the gardens of the Queen's castle.
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The man who attempted to kill Queen Elizabeth II has been charged
Jaswant Singh Chail is being prosecuted under Section 2 of the 1842 Treason Act which punishes anyone who attempts to injure or harm Her Majesty, threatens to kill, or unlawfully possesses a weapon in her presence, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Still in detention, he is due to appear on August 17 in a Westminster court. He was arrested on December 25 as the Queen was getting prepared for Christmas celebrations with her sons Charles and Andrew at Windsor Castle.
"I'm sorry. Sorry for what I did and for what I'm going to do. I'm going to try to assassinate Elizabeth, queen of the royal family," he said in a video posted on Snapchat, explaining that he was acting to "avenge those who died in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919."
— ᶠᵃᵗᵉ (@FrozenFate__) December 26, 2021
Chail evoked a dark episode of the British Empire during which nearly 400 Indian demonstrators had been killed by British troops.
The suspect claimed to be "an Indian Sikh, a Sith," possibly referring to James Earl Jones, the actor who became well known as the voice of Vader in the original “Star Wars” trilogy.
"He has the right to a fair trial," said the head of the British counter-terrorism division, Nick Price.
Yesterday, Aboriginal Senator Lidia Thorpe mockingly vowed allegiance while taking the oath of office and said, "[I] sincerely swear that I will be faithful and I bear true allegiance to the colonizing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."
Read next: Indigenous MP blasts 'colonizing' Queen in oath of office
