Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, accuses India of state crime after the assassination, on its territory, of a leader of the Sikh community. New Delhi refutes these accusations. Tension is growing between the two countries.
The accusation of some, the denial of others, high-ranking diplomats expelled from each side. In just 24 hours, tension between India and Canada quickly escalated on Tuesday, September 19. At the origin of Canadian anger, the assassination of a leader of the Sikh community, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in the west of the country. Crime that Ottawa unhesitatingly attributed to the Indian government.
>> A European diplomat has been detained in Iran for more than 500 days, announces the head of EU diplomacy
What is surprising is how quickly Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pointed the finger at Indian authorities. The assassination dates back to June. This Sikh separatist preacher, wanted by Indian police, was shot dead in front of his temple near Vancouver by two men. Of the “government agents” according to the Canadian Prime Minister who affirms that his security services have credible evidence. India responds that all this is “absurd”, denies any act of violence in Canada and expresses concern for its nationals given the anti-Indian activity on Canadian territory. A serious diplomatic crisis.
Russia, North Korea… states and targeted assassinations
The Indian government is not really accustomed to this type of method. A method, even a policy, of targeted assassinations, less and less concealed by the States which practice it while refusing to take responsibility for their actions.
The masters in this field remain the Russians who have worked for decades to develop colorless, odorless poisons: novichok on the clothes of the former Russian military intelligence agent, Sergei Skripal, assassinated in Great Britain, or polonium, still in the United Kingdom, for the opponent Alexandre Litvinenko.
But other nations engage in this type of practice in violation of international law, such as North Korea with the assassination in Malaysia of Kim Jong-Nam, the half-brother of the North Korean leader, Turkey when it targets Kurdish opponents or even Saudi Arabia with the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
International law governs executions in the event of armed conflict
Under international law, states can sometimes justify such executions if they can convince people that they are acting within the framework of an armed conflict. An argument often used by the United States during the hunt for Osama bin Laden, for example, or during the strike against Iranian general Soleimani.
Even if the Indian government considered the Sikh leader a terrorist, India is not in conflict with Canada, or even in armed conflict with militants living in Canada. But Justin Trudeau still took certain precautions in his intervention on Tuesday. The Canadian Prime Minister has heavily insisted on the attack on the sovereignty of his country and demands accountability but remains vague on the legal nature of the crime. “I continue to urge the Indian government to cooperate with Canada in shedding light on this matter. I also expect him to reaffirm that his position on extrajudicial operations in another country is clearly in accordance with international law.” said Justin Trudeau. “Extrajudicial operation” and not “execution”, the term remains sufficiently vague and vague, leaving India with the possibility either of presenting proof of its innocence or of paying compensation that would suit Canada.