UN Human Rights Report Accuses Government of India of Carrying Out ‘Systematic Attacks’ on Sikhs in Canada

UNHRC Special Rapporteurs accuse India of violating human rights and international law in newly released report, reports PressProgress

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Hardeep Singh Nijjar

By Rumneek Johal | PressProgress |

The UN Human Rights Council has publicly called for the government of India to stop targeting Sikh activists in Canada, the United States and other countries and has accused India of multiple human rights violations in a newly released report from UNHRC special rapporteurs.

In response to a formal complaint filed on behalf of the family of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was allegedly assassinated by agents of the government of India outside of a Gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship in Surrey, BC in 2023, several Special Rapporteurs of the UNHRC responded by raising concerns about Nijjar’s assassination and threats to other Canadian Sikh activists.

The report, dated November 19, 2024, was first made public last week on January 18, 2025.

“We also draw attention to allegations of other credible threats to life and measures of intimidation and harassment against Sikh activists outside India,” the letter states. “Such activities may involve violations of the human rights to life, security of person, freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of religion or belief, and minority rights.

The report outlined Nijjar’s advocacy related to politics and human rights including Sikh self-determination, Sikh human rights in India, the persecution of Sikh activists and support for other minority groups.

The Special Rapporteurs also chronicle the timeline of events leading up to Nijjar’s killing, including interactions with RCMP and CSIS, who were aware of threats against him.

The UNHRC goes on to note Nijjar was not the only activist being targeted by Modi’s government, highlighting concerns over “systematic attacks by the Indian authorities on Sikh activists in Canada, the United States, and other countries, including private and public harassment and intimidation, threats of violence and death, and the planning of physical attacks.”

“This campaign appears to be aimed at preventing them from continuing their legitimate activities as activists, including criticism of the Indian Government, and at impairing the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression.”

The report goes on to say that if the allegations are proven true, this would represent the violation of several human rights, including the right to life, the right to security of person, including bodily and mental integrity, freedom from unlawful attacks on one’s honour and freedom from arbitrary or unlawful interference in the family, freedom of religion or belief, freedom of opinion and expression and more.

“We are concerned that these allegations are part of a pattern of transnational repression of Sikh activists in multiple countries.”

Moninder Singh, National Spokesperson for Sikh Federation says the UNHRC’s response “shows Hardeep Singh in a proper light” and verifies much of what activists in Canada have been expressing concern about for some time.

“It’s something Canada has been saying and it’s been verified again by another international agency through the UN and its Human Rights Commission that he was a Sikh leader in Canada propagating the cause for Khalistan,” Singh told PressProgress.

“Then India used transnational repression, they used laws like the Unlawful Activities Protection Act (UAPA) and anti-terror law to suppress Mr. Nijjar, to harass his family in India and to designate him a terrorist under false implications is what the report says.”

The UNHRC report also highlights the human rights component to foreign interference.

“One of the things that we can get out of this report is pressure put on India. We made the approach to Bob Rae as the ambassador of Canada to the UN to comment on this report, but it’s also going to come forward in March at the sitting of the UN,” Singh noted.

Reall the full report here.

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