A joint report titled “Beyond Borders: Indian Transnational Repression Against the Sikh Diaspora” has been prepared by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) and the Sikh Federation International.
According to the information provided to APA by BIG, the report is a document containing extensive materials on pressure, surveillance, threats and violent activities carried out by the Indian government against Sikh activists living abroad, political emigrants, as well as leaders and members of diaspora organizations.
The main purpose of the document is to systematize the methods used by the Indian government to silence Sikh political activists outside the country’s borders through various actors and to reveal the threats created by these activities in terms of international law, human rights and the violation of the sovereignty of the countries where these acts are committed, including the United States, Canada and others.
The report also includes the modern history and political background of the Indian government’s targeting of Sikh political activism. In this regard, it is noted that in 1986, in response to demands for the establishment of an independent Sikh state, the Indian authorities responded not through dialogue, but by using force, mass persecution, assassinations, torture and groundless arrests. As a result of this repressive policy, Sikh political activism was suppressed and brought to a paralyzed state within the country. As a result, Sikh activists were forced to seek political asylum in the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries. However, even this inevitable step forced by the Indian government’s purposeful policy could not protect them from danger. These individuals and their family members are still subjected to persecution and threats abroad.
The report also covers the modern history and political background of the Indian government’s targeting of Sikh political activism. It notes that in response to demands for the establishment of an independent Sikh state in 1986, the Indian authorities resorted not to dialogue but to the use of force, mass repression, assassinations, torture, and arbitrary arrests. As a result of this repressive policy, Sikh political activism was suppressed within the country, forcing activists to seek political asylum in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries. However, this step did not protect them from threats, and they, along with their family members, continue to face persecution abroad.
According to the report, the Indian government has shifted to transnational repression, employing a wide range of pressure mechanisms against Sikh activists and their families abroad, including physical violence, assassination attempts, surveillance, blackmail, harassment, abuse of extradition mechanisms, politicization of “extremism” and “terrorism” accusations, and restrictions on passport and consular services.
It is emphasized that court materials, government statements, and official investigations in several countries confirm that the Indian government has used threats, coercion, and violence against Sikh dissidents and community leaders. The use of covert operations, agents, links with organized crime networks, political and legal manipulation, and the creation of an atmosphere of fear within diaspora communities are identified as key elements of this policy.
The report identifies Canada as one of the main countries where transnational repression has been most clearly documented. It states that Indian diplomatic and intelligence structures have attempted not only to influence media and political processes in Canada but also to prosecute Sikh activists under the pretext of “countering extremism.” It is also noted that since 2022, Canadian security agencies have warned several Sikh activists, including Hardeep Singh Nijjar, of threats to their lives.
The report identifies Canada as one of the main countries where transnational repression has been most clearly documented. It states that Indian diplomatic and intelligence structures have attempted not only to influence media and political processes in Canada but also to prosecute Sikh activists under the pretext of “countering extremism.” It is also noted that since 2022, Canadian security agencies have warned several Sikh activists, including Hardeep Singh Nijjar, of threats to their lives.
The report highlights the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar as one of the most serious manifestations of India’s transnational repression policy. Nijjar, who had emigrated to Canada due to persecution in India, had long advocated for Sikh rights and the idea of an independent Sikh state. He was killed in Canada on June 18, 2023. On September 18 of the same year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that the killing had been carried out on the orders of the Indian government.
In addition, the report notes that India has used its diplomatic and intelligence capabilities in North America to expand operations against the Sikh diaspora. A confidential document circulated among Indian consulates in North America in April 2023 outlined the creation of a “coordinated pressure mechanism” against Sikh organizations, indicating that the targeting of activists is part of state policy.
The attempted assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is also highlighted. According to the US Department of Justice, Indian national Nikhil Gupta was charged in connection with a plot to kill Pannun and pleaded guilty on February 13, 2026. The operation was reportedly coordinated by Vikash Yadav, linked to Indian security and intelligence structures, and is assessed as part of a broader pattern of transnational assassination operations.
The section on the United Kingdom states that India’s methods include pressure on family members, abuse of legal mechanisms, and attempts to portray protests as criminal acts. It also cites the detention of British citizen Inderpal Singh Gaba in India as an example of the politicization of legal processes.
Germany is also identified as a country where India’s transnational repression has expanded, with cases involving individuals linked to Indian intelligence gathering information on Sikh activists in Europe.
The report concludes that the documented actions raise serious concerns regarding violations of multiple provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including the right to life, liberty and security, fair trial, freedom of expression, assembly, and minority rights.
Overall, the report states that transnational repression against the Sikh diaspora is not limited to targeting individual activists but represents a broader policy that challenges fundamental principles of international law, undermines democratic freedoms, and poses risks to global security.
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