Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy

May 4, 2024 | 6:31 PM

TORONTO — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Speaking Saturday at a Sikh Foundation of Canada gala at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Trudeau said Canadians have a fundamental right to live safely, free from discrimination and threats of violence. 

Nijjar was shot last June in Surrey, and his death set off a wave of protests and rallies from local communities against diplomats from India. 

Three Indian nationals were charged in the 2023 killing, which threw Ottawa’s relationship with India into disarray.