"Mr Moninder Singh appears to have been targeted directly"
United Nations human rights experts have urged Canada to “accelerate” investigations into alleged threats against the life of Sikh activist Moninder Singh and his family.
Five UN special rapporteurs said they had “serious concerns” about credible threats against Singh, the leader of the Sikh Federation of Canada, including an alleged imminent threat to their lives.
A nine-page letter released by the UN Human Rights Office called on Canadian authorities to investigate the claims and hold those responsible to account.
The document was originally sent to the Canadian government on June 3 and was made public two months later. A copy was also sent to India, according to the letter.
Singh has been critical of India’s human rights record and supports the Khalistan separatist movement, which seeks to establish an independent Sikh state in India’s Punjab region.
The UN experts said the alleged threats appeared to be linked to a wider pattern of alleged transnational repression against Sikh activists.
The letter said: “We are concerned that such threats fall within a broader pattern of transnational repression by Indian authorities against Sikh activists in different countries, including Canada.”
Experts also raised concerns that Singh may have been targeted because of his engagement with UN bodies and his advocacy on human rights issues.
The letter continued: “We are deeply concerned at the allegations that Mr Moninder Singh appears to have been targeted directly before or after instances of cooperation with or reporting to United Nations entities in relation to the targeting of Sikh activists by Indian authorities.
“These allegations, if true, may constitute unlawful intimidation and reprisals in direct retaliation for Mr Moninder Singh’s human rights advocacy and cooperation with United Nations human rights representatives and mechanisms.”
Singh has regularly engaged with the UN and visited its Geneva headquarters earlier in 2026 to call for international action over allegations that Sikh activists abroad have been targeted by Indian authorities.
UN special rapporteurs and experts are independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to monitor and report on human rights issues. They serve in their personal capacities and do not speak on behalf of the UN.
The allegations come amid ongoing tensions between Canada and India over the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in 2023.
Nijjar, who was designated as a terrorist by India, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.
The killing caused a major diplomatic dispute between the two countries in 2024 after then-Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa had “credible evidence” linking India to Nijjar’s death.
Relations between Canada and India have since improved under Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Canadian police have said there is no evidence currently linking the Indian government to Nijjar’s death, while the investigation remains ongoing.
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Lisa Moreland said: “Nothing has come out today to link the Indian government” to the matter.
British Columbia police have reportedly warned Moninder Singh four times that they had received information indicating threats against his life.
The first “duty to warn” notice was reportedly issued in July 2022, on the same day a similar warning was given to Nijjar.
Moninder Singh was reportedly warned again about alleged murder plots in August 2023 and March 2025 after appearing before the UN Human Rights Council.
Two days before he was due to appear before the UN in February 2026, he received another warning about an alleged plot targeting him and his family.
India has strongly denied allegations of government involvement in threats or the killing of foreign nationals, including Nijjar.
The UN experts have urged Canadian authorities to continue investigating the threats against Singh and ensure appropriate action is taken against those responsible.
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