United Kingdom — Following the sentencing of Vickrum Singh Digwa for the murder of 18-year-old university student Henry Nowak, Sikh organizations across the United Kingdom have welcomed the court’s verdict while reaffirming that the crime was the responsibility of one individual and must not be used to stigmatize the Sikh faith or community.

In a joint statement issued after the conclusion of the trial, Sikh representative organizations expressed their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Henry Nowak, acknowledging the profound loss they have suffered. The groups stated that there can be no justification for the unlawful taking of a human life and affirmed that justice had been served through the conviction and life sentence imposed by the court.

Kirpan Not Used in the Crime
The organizations also addressed widespread media references to the murder weapon as a “ceremonial knife” or “Kirpan.” They emphasized that Sikh teachings strictly prohibit the misuse of any article of faith and that the legal exemption allowing initiated Sikhs to wear a Kirpan exists solely for genuine religious observance. Once a bladed article is used unlawfully, it ceases to enjoy that protection under British law and is treated as an offensive weapon. Sikh representatives further noted that evidence presented during the trial indicated the weapon used was not a standard Kirpan worn by practicing Sikhs, making it important to distinguish between a religious article of faith and a weapon used in a criminal act.

Community leaders voiced concern that inaccurate reporting and sensational headlines have contributed to a rise in anti-Sikh abuse directed at innocent members of the community. They urged journalists and public officials to use accurate terminology and avoid language that unfairly associates Sikh religious practices with criminal violence.

The organizations reaffirmed that the Kirpan symbolizes justice, compassion, self-discipline, and the duty to protect the weak and oppressed. It is not a weapon intended for aggression or intimidation, and its significance should not be judged by the criminal actions of an individual who violated both the law and the core principles of Sikhism.

Sikh Community Concerns
Sikh leaders also welcomed the judge’s recognition that the privilege of carrying a Kirpan carries a corresponding responsibility to uphold the highest standards of conduct. They reiterated that Sikhs who exercise this religious freedom must do so with humility, restraint, and respect for the law.

While the criminal proceedings have concluded, Sikh organizations continue to call for balanced public discourse and greater education about Sikh beliefs and practices. They stressed that Henry Nowak’s tragic death should unite communities in rejecting violence rather than deepen misunderstanding or prejudice.

Statement from Nowak Family
In a statement to the press Henry Nowak’s father, Mark, explicitly stated: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred, or tension. We want his story to make our streets safer for everyone”. He emphasized that the focus should be on positive change rather than politicizing the tragedy.

The community’s message remains clear: justice has been delivered for the victim, the actions of the offender deserve unequivocal condemnation, and the criminal conduct of one individual must never be used to define an entire faith or its millions of peaceful adherents worldwide.

CONVENTRY, UK – In response to the recent wave of Indian repression of Panjab, Sikhs in the UK called a National Panthic conference on Saturday 1 April at Guru Nanak Parkash Gurdwara Coventry.

Over 50 UK Gurdwara’s and 30 Panthic organisations took part in the conference called by the Federation Sikh Organisations (FSO) and Sikh Youth and Student organisations.

The conference allowed Sikhs, from across the UK, to express their collective anger and pain at the situation in Panjab. Once again, the Indian state is abusing human rights and targeting the Sikh legal and democratic right to expression for sovereignty, Khalistan, and Sikh resistance to their subjugation in Panjab.

Updates were shared on the latest situation in Panjab, Bhai Amritpal Singh and the many illegally detained supporters.

The conference collectively declared the following resolutions:

1. Support to i) Amritpal Singh, Waris Punjab De, ii) those campaigning to free all detainees and long-standing Sikh political prisoners, iii) Self·determination and establishment of Khalistan.
2. A call for a Panthic gathering to take us towards a Sarbat Khalsa where the Panth can collectively form a programme for Khalistan.
3. Establish a working group to co-ordinate and guide the UK Panthic response.
4. Select and send a UK delegation to attend and represent at the Sarbat Khalsa.
5. Establish a Think Tank to counter the Prevent Strategy and targeting of Sikh Activism and social media censorship.

A more detailed action plan for community engagement and mobilisation was openly discussed and organisers will commence work on the approved resolutions with immediate effect.

Jas Singh said, “It was great to see such a diverse representation of our community, including elders, women, youth and students come out together to share their concerns and views on how the Sikh Panth should respond to this new challenge from the Indian state.”

‘The community were extremely troubled about how the UK government was becoming more and more complicit in supporting India’s anti-democratic and repressive actions, while turning a blind eye on moss human rights abuses by the state authorities.”

“Such gatherings and dialogue in the community are very important and essential to allow expression and collective strategic decision making, especially when navigating such state sponsored discrimination and propaganda. The resolutions passed give equal importance to both events in Panjab and how the UK sangat must also reorganise in the face of increasing threats, both online and on the ground.”

The National Panthic Conference statement was issued by:

• Federation of Sikh Organisations
• Sikh Youth Organisations

Video coverage of conference:

LONDON (KP) – The UK based non-profit, the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), exposed a coordinated effort by Indian nationalists that setup hundreds of fake social media accounts and pages to malign and defame Sikh organizations, the farmers protest, and Sikh activists by labeling them as terrorists and extremists on the world stage.

This is perhaps the most in-depth analysis and exposé by an independent body to research and uncover the continuous manipulative and nefarious efforts of the anti-Sikh, anti-farmer and anti-minority cadre that function under the tutelage of the right-wing Hindu nationalist government of Narendra Modi.

The CIR is an independent, non-profit social enterprise dedicated to identifying, countering and exposing influence operations, and works to raise awareness among policymakers, journalists and the public of the risks posed by influence operations by hostile actors, including malign states and “domestic disinformers”.

After the release of the CIR report, many of the accounts identified in the research were subsequently “suspended for violations of policies prohibiting platform manipulation and inauthentic behavior.”

Below is a summary of the findings in the CIR report “Analysis of the #RealSikh Influence Operation”.

Full version of the CIR report is also available at the end of this summary.

The network of fake accounts

The network of fake accounts A coordinated influence operation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram is using fake personas acting as influencers within the Sikh community to discredit the push for Sikh independence, label Sikh political interests as extremist, stoke cultural tensions within India and international communities, and promote Indian Government content.

That core network of fake accounts comprises of:

• 33 fake accounts on Twitter with a total of more than 84,000 followers.
• 29 fake accounts on Facebook with more than 80,000 combined ‘friend’. Of the fake accounts, 22 were the same personas identified on Twitter, and used the same image, name, cover photo, and posted the same content.
• 18 fake accounts on Instagram, of which 14 were also copies of the personas on Facebook and 16 were copies of personas identified on Twitter.

Out of all of the accounts, 14 fake personas had accounts on all three platforms, using the exact same names, profile images, cover photos and same posts.

The fake accounts claim to be both “Real Sikhs” and “proud Indians”. They use profile pictures stolen from celebrity social media accounts, use names common in Sikh communities to appear as legitimate members of the Sikh community, and are brazen in their calling out of whether someone is a “Real Sikh” or a “fake Sikh”. The fake accounts do not show signs of automation, but rather appear to be human-operated, acting as ‘sock puppet’ accounts with the same personas replicated over multiple platforms and repeating the same content. The core network is supported by a large network of authentic accounts which primarily identify as Hindu nationalists.

Narratives promoted by the fake network

The accounts target their content at numerous issues, but primarily use the Khalistan movement to claim any notion of Sikh independence is extremist and terrorist related, that Pakistan is fuelling Sikh independence movements in India, and that western countries (namely the UK, US and Canada) are harbouring Sikh terrorist groups. The network uses hashtags related to Khalistan and terrorism when commenting on significant issues in India and abroad to target Sikh independence, farmers’ protests, activists and more.

Some of the fake network’s messaging included statements calling for action such as Indian “Nationalists shouldn’t remain watching silently” and that they “need to counter & expose them [ the Khalistani movement for Sikh independence]” to “save India” from “Pakistan, Canada, UK, and US”. The network increased its activity since the commencement of the farmers’ protests in India which have been ongoing since late 2020. Both the farmers’ protests and the Khalistan independence movement have been the two most frequently targeted subjects of the core network of fake accounts.

The political and information context

The farmers’ protests have been an ongoing protest movement in response to legislation relating to farming passed by the Indian Government in 2020. In November 2021, the Indian Government announced the repeal of the laws amidst mounting pressure and scrutiny over the laws. The laws were contested by farmer unions claiming they were ‘anti-farmer’ as the laws put farmers ‘in danger of becoming captive to companies’ and that farmers would be left worse off.

Implications for India’s political and social cohesion

Our research has exposed an inauthentic influence operation that is using fake accounts in a coordinated manner across multiple social media platforms to promote narratives and content arguing that Sikh independence is not compatible with either the values of a “real” Sikh, Indian national interests, or support for the current government and that anyone advocating independence is an extremist or even a terrorist.

Fake profile pictures

Many of the fake accounts in the core network identified in this research used images of celebrities as their profile pictures. While an initial image reverse search did not reveal the same images immediately, after repeated searches of similar looking people we were able to identify the exact same images used by the celebrities and confirm that the image was indeed fake.

Use of English for all posts by fake accounts

Much of the content seen on Twitter, as well as the other platforms, was posted in English. While the research was conducted in English, reviews of the main influencer accounts identified very little content posted in Punjabi. This may either be due to the targeted audience of the network being non-language specific (using English rather than specifically Punjabi or Hindi), or because the people operating the Sikh influencer accounts are not able to write sufficient text in Punjabi.

Update: Actions by social media platforms

Prior to publication this report was shared with teams from Twitter and Meta that specialise in threat intelligence and influence operations. The platforms identified in this report where the fake network was visible have policies governing their use, specifically around platform manipulation and spam (as seen on Twitter) and inauthentic behaviour (as seen on Meta). After reviewing the findings of this report, the accounts identified and analysed in this research have subsequently been suspended for violations of policies prohibiting platform manipulation and inauthentic behaviour.

View Full CIR Report   (Download Link)

LONDON, UK (KP) – United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the cases against three British born Sikhs due to insufficient evidence for their involvement in the 2009 murder of Rulda Singh, a member of the ultra-right wing Hindu fascist organization the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The three men, Piara Singh Gill, Amritivir Singh Wahiwala and Gursharanvir Singh Wahiwala were arrested in December of 2020 by the West Midlands Police and were awaiting extradition to India in connection to the murder. The West Midlands Police investigation in 2011 however found no evidence against them.

Interestingly, no further evidence was presented by Indian authorities against the three Sikhs at Westminster Magistrates Court to this date. Due to the lack of evidence, the discharge orders for all three were issued by District Judge Michael Snow who presided over the appeal hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London.

Prosecutor Daniel Sternberg said: “The totality of the evidence in this matter is not sufficient to make out a case to answer for the requested persons to any of the charges in the extradition request.”

Human rights lawyer and activist Gareth Peirce stated that the case was dismissed not only due to a lack of evidence but also the Indian police officers that the prosecutions presented were themselves involved in various cases of disappearances, torture and murder.

“We hope what comes out of this is a recognition that it isn’t fitting to simply accept what a government says, but a duty to enquire far further,” Peirce added.

Crowds of supporters of the so-called “West Midlands 3” had gathered outside the court in support of the accused. An investigation into the case by the West Midlands Police dates back to 2011, with the judge noting that the issue has been a “long running saga” for the three men.

Their lawyer described the allegations against them as “wholly unjust”. The prosecution also had to concede that the evidence was “not sufficient to make out a case to answer” against them.
Human rights activists and UK Sikh organizations have maintained that the three British Sikhs were innocent of the charges, and this was just a publicity stunt by the Indian authorities to harass and defame the Sikh diaspora who routinely raises its voice against the human rights abuses against minority communities in India.

The Sikh Press Association condemned the UK government for spending taxpayer funds “on a sham trial and put three British Sikh men, their young families and their entire community through such an arduous ordeal to sweeten a post-Brexit trade deal with India.”

LONDON, UK (KP) – Whereas certain Indian media outlets are busy attempting to undermine the charity work and image of the largest Sikh humanitarian organization, Khalsa Aid, the British Government openly thanked the NGO and its founder for their services during a recent crisis in UK.

During the last week of December, thousands of truckers in England were caught in a massive jam on highways near port town of Dover once France banned travelers and freight from the UK after the discovery of a more infectious variant of COVID-19 that has been spreading through England for the past few weeks.

The truck drivers were stranded on the roads with no water or food and little assistance from authorities, but international humanitarian organization, Khalsa Aid, quickly mobilized their volunteer staff and coordinated with local Sikh Gurdwaras by offering free hot meals for the affected drivers directly to them on the congested highways.

In a letter of gratitude, the British Secretary of State for Transport, Rt. Hon. Grant Shapps  stated that the kindness of Khalsa Aid volunteers “has played a vital role in safeguarding the welfare of the haullers stranded at the border and undoubtedly lifted their spirits at a difficult time.” and concluded that “the best of Britain has risen to the challenge once more and I cannot thank you enough. Extraordinary effort for the which the whole nation is grateful”

Humanitarian Relief on  the Front Lines in UK and India

Khalsa Aid has been on the front lines in the Indian capital of Delhi providing food, and necessities to thousands of farmers who are camped out around the outskirts of the city to protest the recently passed “black” anti-farmer legislation that has been enacted without consultation.

Khalsa Aid thanked those who were actively supporting the farmers protest on their official website, and stated that the organization is “honoured to be supporting the protests on the ground through our India team, who are working to provide Langar and other essential commodities at this time.”

Demonizing by Indian Media

Certain Indian media outlets, including the government leaning “Zee News”, without any evidence, has attempted to tarnish the image of not only the protesting farmers as anti-nationals, and leftists, but also attacked the humanitarian work of Khalsa Aid by labeling the CEO and founder Ravinder Singh a “Sikh militant” who was being funded by overseas “terror” organizations.

The allegations, which have received fierce public backlash on social media, have been vehemently refuted by Khalsa Aid and signaled possible legal action against media outlets that are spreading such baseless allegations with no merit.

The acknowledgement by British Secretary of State for Transport and the full spirited support by the Sikh community at large is just the latest evidence that the humanitarian work of Khalsa Aid is appreciated on a international basis despite the ongoing efforts to tarnish it’s image by certain Indian media outlets.

LONDON, UK – Three British Sikhs were arrested and put up for extradition to India by the UK Home Office, where they could face the death penalty.

The arrests were made in the early hours of 21 December. The three Sikh men (who we will not name) had their homes raided by West Midlands Police based on extradition warrants issued on behalf of India “signed by the UK home secretary” Priti Patel.

The news was broken by community group Sikh Youth UK, whom are helping the families involved during this period. The group released the following statement yesterday (23 December) evening:

“On Monday 21st December 2020 at 5.30am, 3 UK born Sikh who are British Citizens from the West Midlands were arrested with the intention to EXTRADITED to India.

The Modi government of India has sought the Extradition of these 3 Sikhs and the extradition papers have already been signed by the UK home secretary on the 17th December after the UK made a trade deal with India during their recent visit.

All 3 Sikhs appeared at West Minister Court on the same day where the judge confirmed that the penalty for the alleged crime would carry the death sentence in India.

All 3 Sikhs will fight the Extradition to India. The motives behind the extradition being exercised in the UK are believed to be sinister and politically motivated.

The UK government has for the first time signed and executed a warrant to extradite British Sikhs as the behest of the Indian government and have set a dangerous precedent.
The decision to exercise this warrant will have massive implications impacting on Sikhs living in the UK for generations.

The 3 Gursikhs who are now fighting Extradition have lived all their lives in the UK and will fight to remain in the UK with their families.”

The men, all of whom are under 40, married with children and were born and raised in England, were taken to London’s Westminster Magistrate court after the arrests, where UK extradition hearings take place. The trio are currently home under strict conditions after being forced to pay bail fees or be forced to remain in category B prisons. Further hearings are pending as they fight the extradition.

The arrests relate to the 2009 murder of Rulda Singh, a senior member of the notorious right-wing nationalist Hindutva extremist group the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), who was shot in Patiala, Punjab and died a week after the attack. The RSS have been described by Western media as “a violent right-wing organization that promotes Hindu supremacy” but remain a prominent group of influence in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a long history in the RSS, a group that are linked with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

According to the legal team of those arrested, the extradition warrants were signed by Home Secretary Priti Patel whilst her Conservative Party colleague Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was still in India for discussion with Indian officials on an “Enhanced Trade Partnership”. The arrests came just days after Raab had returned from the visit. Priti Patel, of Hindu Gujarati background just like Modi, has openly declared her support for the RSS and their role in Modi’s “vision for success”.

The RSS are known for their alleged involvement in not just religiously incited crimes against minorities, but also known to be involved in India’s seedy underworld of crime. In 2017 a notorious underworld figure of Punjab confessed to killing an RSS leader, even saying the crime “shouldn’t be linked to religion”. The accusations of the British Sikh men’s involvement in the killing of this RSS figure have previously been investigated by British authorities. Previously these investigations have led to nothing of substance found in the case against the men. It remains unclear why accusations about this 11-year-old crime have now been acted upon by the UK authorities, led by Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Many in the Sikh community are concerned about the push for extradition, as it is believed this unprecedented move against British Sikhs could leave possibly thousands more Sikhs left vulnerable to extradition based on activism against human rights abuses in India and the subsequent criminalisation of Sikh dissent by the Indian state. Many believe a fair trial in India is impossible for Sikhs, with the example of Jagtar (“Jaggi”) Singh Johal given. The Scottish Sikh has currently spent over three years arbitrarily detained in India, without any progress in his trial, despite claims by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder that the killings of two RSS figures were now solved due to his arrest in November 2017.

The case of Balbir Singh, the highly respected Sikh community figure that founded humanitarian charity Sikh Relief, also leaves questions as to the ethics of agreeing to extradite the Sikh men to India. In 1999 Balbir Singh, a British citizen, was arrested in India and linked to terror related offences. After nearly three years of imprisonment, evidence against Balbir Singh was finally presented in court, only for the case to immediately fall apart, with the presiding judge calling the charges against him “a balloon of falsehoods”.

Both Jaggi and Balbir reported being tortured by police during their incarcerations, which India’s police are notorious for. Questions are being raised about both the ethics and legality of the Home Office allowing the extradition of Brits to a country where the judicial process is viewed by many as flawed, where torture is commonplace and the death penalty may be enforced.

In a statement shared exclusively with The Sikh Press Association, the family said:

“We are in chardi kala (ever rising spirits) and will fight the extradition to hindustan with the help of the Panth (Sikh path/community). We thank Satguru Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj for all their blessings and the Sadh Sangat (Holy Sikh congregation) for their continuing support in this matter.”

Source: https://www.sikhpa.com/uksikhextradition/?fbclid=IwAR2r4xrV2zLei0B5Z-_G0km3lNw_IW1H-zikT4VydGoSmOG10ESJxHUw19E

Leading human rights solicitor, Gareth Peirce challenges legality and justification of raids

LONDON, (UK) – The Sikh Federation (UK) publicly castigated the British authorities for the police action that was taken against the families of Sikh activists last week. Police authorities carried out multiple searches of five properties in Birmingham, Coventry and West London.

The following statement was issued by the Sikh Federation :

Several days ago West Midlands police co-ordinated early morning raids on the homes of six Sikh activists in Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester and London.

All the activists are known to be linked to the campaign to secure the release of 31-year old Jagtar Singh Johal from Dumbarton who has been in an Indian jail for over 300 days.

Jagtar has been tortured, denied unfettered British consular access and prevented from receiving an independent medical examination. He has also faced the torment of trial by media with Indian police releasing so-called confessional video tapes after he was tortured and threatened to be burnt alive during interrogation. Such information is inadmissible in court under any circumstances.

The raids by around 70 police officers lasting 12-36 hours not only targeted Sikh activists, but their elderly and disabled parents and young children who have been left traumatised and suffering from nightmares. In one of the raids a bomb disposal unit was bizarrely deployed to deal with a few household fireworks.

The police raids themselves have cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds that would have been better deployed targeting those hell-bent on committing acts of terror in the UK. Instead these raids appear not to have been based on evidence based intelligence, but have been carried out to demonstrate to the Indian authorities the UK is willing to help take actions against Sikh activists.

The police raids are seen by many in the community as a fundamental attack on the civil liberties of members of the law abiding Sikh community who generally provide an excellent example of successful integration whilst maintaining a very visible and distinctive identity.

No one has been arrested following the raids on Tuesday, but those who have had their homes raided have had phones, laptops, electronic equipment and other valuables removed. There are genuine fears British police will breach data protection laws under political pressure to assist and appease the Indian authorities and put the lives of innocent and vulnerable Sikhs under further threat.

Underlining the suspicion that Indian police officers accompanied British police during the raids Sikh activists being investigated have mentioned ‘Indian’ officers being present during the raids who refused to provide identifications and spoke poor English.

The West Midlands police were immediately challenged on the day of the raids by none other than leading solicitor Gareth Peirce who was contacted as soon as the Sikh Federation (UK) learnt of the raids.

Gareth Peirce is one of the best human rights lawyers in the country who has represented the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six; the family of Jean Charles de Menezes; and Moazzam Begg who was detained in Guantanamo Bay.”

She has challenged the legality of many of the seizures of individual items. A far wider challenge questioning the justification for and conduct of the raids as a whole is now being pursued by her as a matter of urgency on behalf of the Sikh activists.

The West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit (WMCTU) admitted the Indian connection in its initial press release, but have to date declined to disclose those being targeted were Sikh activists fearing a community backlash.

Preet Kaur Gill MP, the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs, met the head of the WMCTU yesterday, listened to the logic of their actions, but posed a number of challenges.

Many commenting on the police raids have mentioned the past British history of military and other assistance to the Indian authorities to target and kill innocent Sikhs in their homeland in the 1980s and subsequent anti-Sikh measures in the UK.

In another inadvertent admission of the British police doing the dirty work of Indian police the search warrants astonishingly refer to ‘any clothing’ supporting organisations banned in India even though these organisations can and do operate legally in the UK.

Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary who is believed to have sanctioned the raids will be embarrassed as it has now also been reported in the Indian press that senior Indian police officers have provided names to Indian journalists of the Sikh activists that have had their homes raided in Britain while the British police remain silent.

In a disturbing revelation an unnamed senior Punjab police officer is quoted in one leading Indian newspaper as stating “we have received confirmation (of names) from WMCTU” about residences that have been searched. One leading Indian newspaper has therefore published names and made a possible connection with Jagtar Singh Johal.

Jagtar has made over 50 court appearances, but no witnesses or evidence has yet been presented in court to substantiate the limited charges that were eventually made public six months after his abduction and torture. There are only 15 lines in the 1,000+ page charge sheet relating to Jagtar and these simply repeat what he said in the confessional video that is inadmissible in court.

It appears the Indian authorities have turned to the British police to find any evidence that may help against Jagtar Singh Johal judging by the wording of the entry and search warrants that were issued by Birmingham magistrates.

Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) said:

“As soon as we learnt of the raids we immediately involved Gareth Peirce who is challenging the legality and justification of the police actions.”

“We know the police officers used heavy handed techniques, have made several fundamental mistakes that lawyers have picked up on and action will be taken against police officers, especially the way they treated the families involved.”

“Following comments of Punjab police officers the Sikh community and lawyers are in no doubt these raids are linked to a search for evidence against Jagtar Singh Johal.”

Gurjeet Singh
National Press Secretary
Sikh Federation (UK)

LYON, FRANCE –  The Government of India is facing a daunting task to extradite Paramjeet Singh Pamma since INTERPOL has also withdrawn the arrest warrants against the Sikh nationalist who is living in UK since 1999 as refugee.
 
Communique from ‘Commission For the Control of INTERPOL Files’ regarding Pamma’s case states that “After a careful study of all the elements in its possession, the Commission concluded that the data registered in INTERPOL’s files concerning Mr. Singh was not in compliance with INTERPOL’s rules. Consequently, the Commission recommended that INTERPOL deletes the data concerned.  Following the Commission’s recommendation, these data were deleted from INTERPOL’s files.
 
“In application of recommendations made by the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files, the General Secretariat has destroyed the information relating to Mr. Singh”, the INTERPOL’s letter issued by ‘Commission For the Control of INTERPOL Files’ from France, further states.
 
“INTERPOL’s corrective action exposes how Indian Government provides forged information to international agencies to frame Sikh nationalists as terrorists with intent to stop them from campaigning for right to self determination”, stated attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to human rights groups, “Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ) which coordinated Pamma’s legal defense.
 
‘SFJ will continue to work with INTERPOL to delete the names of other Sikh nationalists who are being targeted by India for their support to create separate Sikh country Khalistan’, added attorney Pannun.
 
Triumphant at the Interpol decision Pamma stated that ‘Truth prevailed and he will continue his campaign for Sikhs right to self-determination for creation of separate Sikh state Khalistan’.
 
Pursuant to the Interpol’s Red Notice Pamma was arrested in Portugal in Dec 2015 but  Portuguese Government  denied India’s request to extradite citing that the acts of violence as India claimed occurred while Pamma was living in UK as refugee.
 
India is seeking extradition of Pamma on the charges of 2009 murder of RSS Chief “Rulda Singh” and 2010 twin bombings in Patiala.

PORTUGAL (SNN) – Portugal”s Minister of Justice, Francisca Van Dunem denied India”s request to exterdite Sikh activist Paramjeet Singh Pamma who was arrested by the Interpol on December 18th of 2015 due to an Indian arrest warrant against him.

Paramjeet Singh is being released from custody and will return to the United Kingdom (UK) where he has resided since 2000 after he was approved for asylum as a political refugee.

Portugal”s Justice Ministry agreed that Paramjeet Singh Pamma was given refugee status by the British authorities, and was issued a valid travel document in April of 2023, which enables him to travel through several EU countries, including Portugal.

The Justice Ministry stated that “The decision of the Minister of Justice falls not only in the provisions of the UN Convention on Refugees – ratified by a group of 145 countries, including Portugal and the UK – but also the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which provides a common asylum policy across the European Union. These sets of rules prohibit the return of the citizen who was granted refugee status in the country that was allegedly persecuted or in danger of persecution.

Punjab Police in Portugal

The Indian Government had sent several Punjab Police officials to Portugal in hopes of taking him custody, they included:  Rajinder Singh Sohal, Balkar Singh Sidhu, and Ashish Kapoor.  Last month, Sikh for Justice filed a criminal complaint of torture and murder charges against the three police officials in Portugal.

The Sikh diaspora in Europe and North America, and various Sikh organizations, including Sikhs for Justice, along with several Members of UK”s Parliament had vocally protested and raised concern about Pamma”s arrest by Interpol and the extradition particularly since he was already residing in the UK under refugee status.

Mentioned in Modi Dossier to Cameron

It should that Paramjeet Singh Pamma”s name was also mentioned along Avtar Singh Khanda and others in an official dossier given to UK”s Prime Minister David Cameron by Narendra Modi during his visit in 2015.  The dossier falsely asserted that Bhai Pamma and Bhai Khanda were radicalizing Sikh youths in the UK and providing IED training in British Gurdwaras.

These far-fetched claims were vehemently denied UK”s Sikh community and by the individuals named, including Avtar Singh Khanda, who welcomed the decision by Portugal and stated:
“With the supplications of the Sangat (Sikh congregation) and with the support of Sikh organizations, today the Sikh Nation is victorious with Bhai Paramjeet Singh Pamma”s case in Portugal, who will be safely returning home to his family.”

Related articles:

Sikh Organizations Intensify Efforts to Block Extradition of Sikh Nationalist Paramjeet Singh Pamma to India

British Sikh Mentioned in Modi Dossier Issues Statement Regarding Baseless Allegations by Indian PM and Media

Indian Media Maligns UK Sikhs – Absurd Claims of IED Training in Gurdwaras

OTTAWA, CANADA –  The World Sikh Organization (WSO) of Canada wrote last week to the Portuguese Ambassador to Canada regarding the extradition of Paramjeet Singh Saini.  Saini, a permanent resident of the UK, was arrested in Portugal at the request of Indian authorities, who are now demanding his extradition in relation to a 2009 murder.  The WSO has called on Portugal to return Saini to his family in the UK as he faces well-founded threats of torture and even death if returned to India.

Mr Saini is an Indian citizen but has lived in the United Kingdom for over 16 years under political asylum with his wife and four young children who are British citizens.  He was arrested on December 28, 2015 in Albufeira, Portugal while on vacation with his family.  Indian authorities are attempting to use Portugal for Mr Saini?s extradition, instead of applying to the British courts where he normally resides. Mr. Saini had already been investigated in an 11-month joint investigation with Indian and British police in 2010 and insufficient evidence was found for him to be charged and extradited at that time.

The WSO pointed out that Mr. Saini was granted political asylum by the UK in September 2000 due to well-founded fears of persecution by Indian security forces. Mr. Saini’s brother, along with several members of his extended family, have been killed by Indian security forces in the past.  Notably, four members of Mr. Saini’s family, aged 80 years, 40 years, 13 years and an infant, were brutally murdered and their bodies set on fire in 1991, allegedly on the orders of Director General of Punjab Police Sumedh Saini who was at the time an SSP.

WSO President Amritpal Singh Shergill said, “Indian attempts to extradite Mr. Saini via Portugal, instead of the UK, are a subversion of proper channels and processes.  If Indian authorities have evidence against Mr. Saini, they should bring it to the attention of the British Government.  Furthermore, the Punjab Police are infamous for harassing, torturing and levelling false charges against Sikh activists.  Over a dozen young Sikhs have been implicated and charged in the case Mr. Saini is currently wanted for but not one conviction has been registered due to lack of evidence. It is not only possible but likely that Mr. Saini would be subjected to mistreatment if he is returned