THE World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) on Thursday expressed grave concern over reports that Canada’s Department of Justice is seeking to withhold “sensitive” national security information from the upcoming murder trial of four men accused of killing the former president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Although it is not clear what evidence the Department of Justice wishes to keep confidential, it has been argued that its release “would be injurious to international relations and national security,” the WSO said.

It added: “Any attempt to conceal evidence relating to India’s role in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar under the guise of protecting “international relations” is unacceptable. The concealment of evidence would amount to a denial of justice, not only for the Nijjar family, but for the entire Sikh community and for all Canadians who expect accountability when foreign states are involved in violence and criminal activity on Canadian soil.

“The Canadian approach towards concealing evidence appears to be in contrast with the prosecution in the United States of Nikhil Gupta, who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in the attempted murder of a Sikh activist there. U.S. authorities publicly laid out allegations of the direct involvement of Indian state actors in the plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. There is no reason why Canadian authorities should adopt a more secretive and deferential approach when dealing with similar allegations in Canada.”

WSO President Danish Singh said: “While we have seen our government approach a reset with India without accountability and safeguards, the suggestion that this reset may also be influencing decisions around transparency in the murder case of Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar is a new low. Justice is not negotiable and can’t be suppressed in the name of international relations or diplomacy.”