Canada’s inquiry into foreign election interference heard from diaspora groups for the first time Wednesday, as they outlined attempts by hostile states – like China – to threaten, harass and intimidate their communities on Canadian soil, often with impunity.
The most dramatic moment in the hours long testimony came from Sikh Coalition representative Jaskaran Sandhu. The commission’s counsel Kate McGrann asked him to outline the “impact” of foreign interference on his community.
“They literally killed a guy,” answered Sandhu.
“How’s that for ‘impact?’ That’s the cost of foreign interference in this country and not taking it seriously,” he warned.
The Canadian government has said there is credible evidence that agents of the Indian government may have been involved in the killing of Harjit Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist in Vancouver last year.
India denies the allegations.
Sandhu testified at the second round of public hearings at the inquiry, which began last January, examining foreign meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Sandu, a lawyer from Brampton, Ont. spoke alongside representatives of other diaspora communities – the group often considered most affected by foreign interference – about the “serious threat” and what critics call Ottawa’s inaction.
“It’s unfortunate but there is a lack of protection,” testified Uyghur-Canadian activist and outspoken critic of Beijing Mehmet Tohti. “The cost for advocacy here in Canada is really high for some communities.”
Tohti testified at the second round of hearings at the inquiry which began in January.
He described fleeing persecution abroad, only to feel endangered in Canada.
“Chinese agents are very active, and they’re just following me through various cars, and they visit my home and knock on doors,” said Tohti. “People are watching you.”
Tohti is one of more than 40 witnesses, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, several senior government officials and community members who are set to appear over the next two weeks.
On Wednesday, Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue, a Quebec Superior Court Justice, revealed there were six days of testimony held behind closed doors, excluding the media and public.
Hogue said the “the commission must walk a very fine line in its work” between transparency and protecting national security, given that much of the evidence comes from classified documents and sources.
“People who are subject to transnational repression by foreign regimes may have very real fears in speaking publicly about their experiences, and as a result, the Commission will likely have to offer some witnesses protections that are at odds with fully open proceedings,” she said.
The commission is looking at attempted meddling during the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
In his testimony, Tohti outlined foreign interference dating back more than two decades. But all these years later, he said there are still few “mechanisms” in Canada to deal with the “serious threat.”
Why there are calls to specifically include Iran
Iranian-Canadian Hamed Esmaeilion also accuses Canada of being slow to respond, and wants more scrutiny placed on Tehran.
The commission’s terms of reference instruct it to examine how China, Russia and other “foreign state or non-state actors” may have tried to influence the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
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Esmaeilion wants Iran specifically mentioned in the mandate because of what he called the regime’s “sophisticated” attempt to infiltrate the Canadian democratic process.
“The Islamic regime has demonstrated to have a special interest in Canada” he told the inquiry.
Last week, Canada’s immigration tribunal ordered the deportation of Iran’s former deputy interior minister Seyed Salman Samani.
Global News reporting shows the Canadian government has struggled to remove people from the country, who are found inadmissible to Canada on national security grounds.
“We are concerned about how former administrators of the Islamic regime can come to this country, threaten activists here and just freely go back,” said Esmaeilion.
This round of hearings is slated to wrap up April 10, and an initial report on Hogue’s findings is due May 3.
The Liberals appointed Hogue as commissioner last September, after months of pressure to launch an inquiry.
The calls came in response to reports by Global News and the Globe and Mail that raised the issue of Chinese foreign interference, but that were initially downplayed by the government.
-With files from Stewart Bell
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