Justice For All Canada Announces Sanctions Submission Against Indian State Leaders Responsible for Incitement to Genocide and Mass Violence |
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December 28th, 2022
Justice For All Canada has submitted evidence and research material to Global Affairs Canada that calls for the consideration, preparation and implementation of sanctions against specific Indian leaders responsible for inciting genocide and violence against ethnic and religious minority groups in India.
According to Human Rights First, several elected Indian officials and state supporters have engaged in abusive conduct that violates national law and international norms, thus meeting the criteria for Global Magnitsky sanctions. However, Indian institutions responsible for peacekeeping and justice have delivered little of this accountability.
Our submission calls on the office of Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister to bring policy actions under the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Magnitsky Law/Bill S-226).
The perpetrators of egregious human rights abuses named in our filings include;
Recommendations under Canada’s Magnitsky Law
After recent legislative amendments made by Bill S-226, Canadian activists and human rights defenders recommend and duly expect the following accountability measures and legal implications imposed on Narsinghanand, Mishra and Chaudhary respectively;
Canada’s sanctioning history provides significant precedence that would make possible the application of restrictive measures against hatemongers Narsinghanand, Mishra and Chaudhary.
In 2017, the Canadian government imposed Magnistky sanctions in response to officials linked to Venezuela’s Maduro regime and officials in South Sudan. Both of these governments were responsible for corruption and gross human rights violations.
An example is the tragic 2002 riots in India’s Gujarat state. Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated in response to “hundreds of Muslims slaughtered, tens of thousands displaced, and countless Muslim homes destroyed” at that time;
Aftermath: Haridwar Genocide Incitement
In December 2021, Narsinghanand participated in a notorious religious conference in Haridwar city, where right-wing Hindu religious leaders openly called for the genocide of Muslims. BJP politicians were in attendance at the event.
Not only had Narsinghanand organized the conference, he also boasts a history of racist slurs, dehumanizing and Islamophobic statements at large crowds concerning Muslims. Such rhetoric exploits social divisions and inflames tensions leading to majoritarian targeting of minority groups.
A Case for Sanctions
Today in India, the lives and well-being of Muslims and other minorities are threatened.
Justice For All Canada echoes the US Commission on International Freedom (USCIRF) to ensure that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau moves to impose targeted sanctions on Indian leaders over their purposeful erosion of religious freedom, their facilitation of gross human rights violations against religious minorities, as well as engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious minorities under the leadership and complicity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Justice For All Canada has submitted evidence and research material to Global Affairs Canada that calls for the consideration, preparation and implementation of sanctions against specific Indian leaders responsible for inciting genocide and violence against ethnic and religious minority groups in India.
According to Human Rights First, several elected Indian officials and state supporters have engaged in abusive conduct that violates national law and international norms, thus meeting the criteria for Global Magnitsky sanctions. However, Indian institutions responsible for peacekeeping and justice have delivered little of this accountability.
Our submission calls on the office of Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister to bring policy actions under the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Magnitsky Law/Bill S-226).
The perpetrators of egregious human rights abuses named in our filings include;
- Yati Narsinghanand: Head of the powerful Dasna Devi temple in Uttar Pradesh state, Narsinghanand previously delivered a vitriolic hate speech in Haridwar city, where he joined right-wing Hindu leaders in calling for mass violence against Muslims to a large crowd.
- Kapil Mishra: A BJP official responsible for the violent environment leading to the 2020 New Delhi Riots. According to Amnesty, Mishra participated in hateful speeches with fellow political leaders, resulting in police brutality against peaceful protesters. He also successfully amassed over 18,000 followers on a Google form seeking to build a “Hindu Ecosystem” to “fight” interreligious marriage with Muslims and promote right-wing nationalism.
- Pinky Chaudhary: Leader of the “Hindu Protection Army,” Chaudhary frequently uses his platform to spread hateful rhetoric and explicit calls for violence against India’s Muslim minorities. He recently organized an anti-Muslim rally leading to the attack of 5 journalists after they were discovered to be Muslims.
Recommendations under Canada’s Magnitsky Law
After recent legislative amendments made by Bill S-226, Canadian activists and human rights defenders recommend and duly expect the following accountability measures and legal implications imposed on Narsinghanand, Mishra and Chaudhary respectively;
- To restrict any property dealings and a freeze of assets in Canada under amendments to the Special Economic Measures Act;
- To immediately render Narsinghanand, Mishra and Chaudhary inadmissible to Canada under the recent amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection.
Canada’s sanctioning history provides significant precedence that would make possible the application of restrictive measures against hatemongers Narsinghanand, Mishra and Chaudhary.
In 2017, the Canadian government imposed Magnistky sanctions in response to officials linked to Venezuela’s Maduro regime and officials in South Sudan. Both of these governments were responsible for corruption and gross human rights violations.
An example is the tragic 2002 riots in India’s Gujarat state. Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated in response to “hundreds of Muslims slaughtered, tens of thousands displaced, and countless Muslim homes destroyed” at that time;
- When describing how rioters made lists of Muslim residents and businesses, including the violence that took place within view of police stations: “Strong evidence (that) links the Modi administration in Gujarat to the carefully orchestrated anti-Muslim attacks.”
- When describing authority investigations into cases related to anti-Muslim riots: “Officials of the Gujarat state government, led by Chief Minister Narendra Modi of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is serving its third term running the state government in Gujarat, failed to conduct serious investigations and obstructed justice. State courts dismissed many cases for lack of evidence after prosecutors effectively acted as defence counsel or witnesses turned hostile after receiving threats.”
Aftermath: Haridwar Genocide Incitement
In December 2021, Narsinghanand participated in a notorious religious conference in Haridwar city, where right-wing Hindu religious leaders openly called for the genocide of Muslims. BJP politicians were in attendance at the event.
Not only had Narsinghanand organized the conference, he also boasts a history of racist slurs, dehumanizing and Islamophobic statements at large crowds concerning Muslims. Such rhetoric exploits social divisions and inflames tensions leading to majoritarian targeting of minority groups.
A Case for Sanctions
Today in India, the lives and well-being of Muslims and other minorities are threatened.
Justice For All Canada echoes the US Commission on International Freedom (USCIRF) to ensure that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau moves to impose targeted sanctions on Indian leaders over their purposeful erosion of religious freedom, their facilitation of gross human rights violations against religious minorities, as well as engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious minorities under the leadership and complicity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.