40+ Canadian Human Rights Groups Condemn Modi G7 Invite, Cite Transnational Repression
TORONTO, June 13, 2025 /CNW/ - A group of Canadian human rights, civil society and faith organizations has issued a joint letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney condemning the official invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the upcoming G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17, 2025. The letter calls on the Canadian government to confront Prime Minister Modi's escalating record of human rights abuses and extraterritorial repression, rather than normalize impunity through diplomatic engagement.
Endorsed by over 40 local and national organizations, the joint statement outlines grave concerns over India's documented treatment of religious minorities, misuse of anti-terror laws against dissidents, as well as targeted violence enabled or orchestrated by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state actors. Signatories also highlight the RCMP investigation credibly linking Indian agents to the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, including a related U.S. Justice Department case charging an Indian government employee in a foiled assassination plot against a Sikh American.
"Engaging with India as a G7 outreach partner must not come at the expense of Canada's legal obligations or its moral credibility," the letter states. "The invitation extended to Prime Minister Modi in the absence of clear conditions normalizes impunity for state violence and signals to the international community that economic and geopolitical interests take precedence over human rights."
Among the 6 calls to action, the organizations call on the Canadian government to:
Publicly raise India's human rights record at the G7
Demand accountability for transnational repression on Canadian soil
Condition all bilateral engagement with India on clear benchmarks for rights protections
The letter references recent alerts from Genocide Watch and the Lemkin Institute flagging India as a country at risk of mass atrocity crimes, including calls by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to sanction Indian officials.
The full joint letter and source references can be accessed here.
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