Ontario and BC Gurdwaras call for extradition law change

Two of the Canadian Sikh communities’ largest representative bodies have called for the nation’s extradition laws to be changed, amid concerns about “the lack of human rights protections”.

The Ontario Gurdwaras Committee (OGC) and British Columbia Gurdwaras Council (BCGC) have submitted a joint brief to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights calling for “urgent reforms” to Canada’s extradition procedures and revoking agreements with countries with “poor human rights records”.

The 10-page brief comes on the heels of Canada’s recent Indo-Pacific Strategy and ongoing concerns about India’s efforts in “cracking down” on Sikh diaspora activism. Canadian Sikhs have regularly held demonstrations regarding the ongoing arbitrary imprisonment of British Sikh political prisoner, Jagtar “Jaggi” Singh Johal, who has suffered torture since his detainment in 2017.

Along with Jaggi’s case, the brief highlights how Sikh concerns are “accentuated” due to “Canada’s wrongful extradition of Hassan Diab in 2014” and “the torture of Régent Boily in Mexico”.

The brief includes recommendations “to ensure that those guilty of serious criminal offences around the world are held accountable, while also ensuring that international norms and human rights principles are upheld”.

Read the official brief summary here, which includes a link to the full submission. Interview opportunities regarding the submission with spokesperson Moninder Singh are available upon request.

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