Canadian rights groups seek sanctions on Yogi Adityanath, 7 officials over anti-Muslim abuses in UP
Ottawa : Canada-based rights groups, including Justice For All Canada and the Canadian Forum for Human Rights and Democracy in India (CFHRDI), have filed a joint civil society submission with Global Affairs Canada, urging it to impose targeted sanctions on eight Indian officials, including Uttar Pradesh’s Hindutva Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, over serious human rights violations against Muslims in Uttar Pradesh.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the confidential submission, filed with the Global Affairs Canada Sanctions Bureau, calls for action under Canada’s existing sanctions framework, including the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act and the Special Economic Measures Act.
The groups said that a sustained pattern of abuses has been reported in Uttar Pradesh, including extrajudicial killings, police violence and torture, punitive demolitions, mass arrests and crackdowns targeting Muslim communities.
They argued that Ottawa must place human rights and accountability at the centre of its bilateral relationship with New Delhi. “Canada cannot deepen trade ties with India while looking away from credible evidence of state-backed abuses against Muslims,” said Taha Ghayyur, executive director of Justice For All Canada.
Among those named in the submission is UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, along with senior current and former police officials. The groups say the officials identified in the submission are linked to a broader pattern of abuses carried out with state support and impunity.
Uttar Pradesh has been at the centre of repeated concerns over the treatment of Muslims since Yogi Adityanath became chief minister of the state
Rights groups have documented police violence, extrajudicial killings, punitive demolitions and mass arrests, while recent measures affecting university students and campuses have added to concerns over restrictions on dissent and minority communities.
The submission also points to earlier warnings by international rights organisations and institutions, including the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), United Nations human rights experts, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the Panel of Independent International Experts (PIIE). The organisations have raised concerns over discrimination, repression and violence affecting Muslims and other minorities in India.
Justice For All Canada and CFHRDI are also calling on Canadian Members of Parliament and federal officials to meet with affected communities and civil society organizations, review the evidence submitted to Global Affairs Canada and ensure that human rights considerations remain central to Canada’s engagement with India. They have asked Global Affairs Canada to independently review the evidence and consider targeted sanctions against the eight officials.
Last week, more than 40 Canadian civil society, human rights, labour and faith-based organisations urged the country’s public safety minister to deny entry to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat over similar allegations.
