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Murder, extortion, coercion by India violate Canada's sovereignty, Trudeau says

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says India has fundamentally violated Canada's sovereignty and international law by targeting Canadians with murder, extortion and coercion.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, centre, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc, left, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly participate in a news conference on the investigative efforts related to violent criminal activity occurring in Canada with connections to India, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says India has fundamentally violated Canada's sovereignty and international law by targeting Canadians with murder, extortion and coercion.

Trudeau held a news conference after the RCMP announced the "extraordinary" step of warning the public about safety threats to Canadians linked to Indian government officials.

Earlier today, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats whom the RCMP say refused to comply with investigations, prompting India to retaliate by ordering six Canadian envoys out of the country by Saturday.

Trudeau said he spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an international summit last week, where he says he stressed that Canada needs New Delhi's co-operation in the criminal probes.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says violence linked to India has only increased since last autumn, when Trudeau announced "credible allegations" that New Delhi was involved in a homicide near Vancouver.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2024.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press