UN Experts Urge Canada To Bolster Protections For Sikh Activist After Multiple Death-Threat Warnings

Five independent United Nations human rights experts have called on the Canadian government to take all feasible measures to protect Sikh activist Moninder Singh and his family after repeated credible threats to his life.

The experts set out their concerns in a letter dated 3 June, released publicly two months later under standard UN procedure. The communication highlights "concerning allegations of foreign intimidation and reprisals" directed at Mr. Singh, a Canadian national who has received four separate "duty to warn" notices from Canadian authorities since 2022 indicating credible and imminent threats to his life.

What the Experts Asked For

The rapporteurs urged Ottawa to "take all feasible measures at its disposal to protect Mr Moninder Singh and his family, as well as similarly-situated individuals on Canadian soil." They also pressed Canadian authorities to accelerate investigations into the alleged threats, ensure perpetrators are held accountable, provide adequate remedies to victims, and implement steps to prevent future occurrences.

The letter was drafted by the UN special rapporteurs and independent experts responsible for: protecting human rights while countering terrorism; freedom of peaceful assembly; human rights defenders; freedom of religion; and the promotion of a democratic international order. A copy was also transmitted to the Government of India.

Context: Transnational Repression and Diplomatic Fallout

Singh travelled to the United Nations in Geneva earlier this year to appeal for international support against what he describes as India’s targeting of Sikh activists overseas and broader practices of transnational repression. Sikh activists allege that Indian agents have targeted community members abroad, including through killings involving organised crime networks—allegations New Delhi denies.

The issue drew international attention after the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a friend of Moninder Singh, who was shot dead near the temple he led in a Vancouver suburb. Canadian authorities, including then-prime minister Justin Trudeau, publicly voiced concerns about possible Indian involvement; New Delhi denied the claims, prompting a period of diplomatic strains that included reciprocal expulsions of diplomats.

Like Nijjar, Singh, 44, is associated with a fringe movement that advocates for an independent Sikh state known as Khalistan. The Khalistan movement traces back to the years following India’s 1947 partition and has at times been linked to violent incidents. It remains a sensitive and contentious issue in relations between India and several Western countries with large Sikh diasporas.

While the experts acknowledged that intelligence and law enforcement operations sometimes require secrecy, they expressed concern at reports that, since February, Canadian authorities have publicly disclosed no further protective or monitoring measures for Singh. The letter underlines the necessity of ongoing vigilance and robust protective steps for individuals facing credible threats on Canadian soil.

"We urge the authorities to accelerate the investigations into these allegations, hold perpetrators accountable, ensure adequate remedy to victims, and take all steps to prevent reoccurrence," the experts wrote.

Canadian and Indian officials have not publicly released full details of ongoing investigations. The UN experts' intervention reinforces calls for transparency, effective protection of at-risk activists, and accountability where evidence supports allegations of transnational intimidation or violence.