GENEVA – The Sikh Federation International and the Baku Initiative Group have jointly called for an international investigation led by UN experts into the alleged targeting of Sikh leaders globally. According to a written statement, a copy of which is available with Sikh Siyasat News (SSN), the organizations launched a comprehensive report today on the sidelines of the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The newly released report, titled Beyond Borders: Indian transnational repression against the Sikh diaspora, documents alleged transgressions by the Indian state. Through the report, the organizations are urging the international community to establish a formal international fact-finding mission led by UN experts to examine evidence of “India’s violent attacks against Sikh leaders around the world.”
Highlighting a pattern of covert operations, the statement asserts that India has acted as a “clear perpetrator of violent and coercive clandestine operations beyond its borders,” specifically targeting Sikh dissidents who are critical of the Indian state and advocate for Khalistan. The report outlines a growing body of evidence indicating that Indian operatives have engaged in activities designed to curtail political dissent. These state-directed activities reportedly include “various forms of violence, intimidation, surveillance, and abuse of international legal mechanisms to criminalize Sikh activists.”
While the report primarily focuses on the nature of this violence in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, it also notes that documented cases have emerged in several other nations, including Australia, Belgium, Italy, Pakistan, and Portugal.
Given the widespread nature of these attacks, representatives of the Sikh Federation International called upon the international community to “unequivocally condemn India’s violations of international human rights obligations and take meaningful steps to hold perpetrators accountable.” The organizations stressed that an independent UN investigation is imperative to “clarify the chain of command behind these operations, assess violations of international law, and identify appropriate accountability and prevention mechanisms.”
Addressing the root cause of the ongoing targeting of the exiled Sikh leadership, the representatives reiterated that any long-term resolution must address the underlying political conflict. The statement concluded by asserting that “the establishment of an independent Khalistan is a necessary prerequisite to lasting justice, peace and prosperity in the future of South Asia.”
