Montreal, Canada – Human rights advocates in Canada are demanding answers from Ottawa after former United Nations special rapporteur Richard Falk, who investigated Israeli abuses against Palestinians, was detained and questioned for several hours at Toronto Pearson International Airport on national security grounds.

Falk, 95, along with his wife and fellow legal scholar Hilal Elver, was stopped on Thursday. According to Falk, a security official indicated that Canadian authorities viewed the couple as potentially posing “a danger to the national security of Canada.” The incident has sparked widespread concern among activists and scholars over freedom of expression and human rights advocacy.

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Calls for Government Transparency

Canadian advocacy groups, including Independent Jewish Voices-Canada, have criticized the government’s handling of the situation. “We need answers – and from the highest levels of government,” said national coordinator Corey Balsam, emphasizing the chilling effect on human rights defenders and those speaking about Palestine.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed that Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree is seeking more information about the interrogation. A spokesperson for Anandasangaree stated:

“National security safeguards are an integral part of our immigration and border-management framework and, while we cannot comment on specific cases, we are committed to ensuring that our border screening processes respect due process and international obligations. To that end, Minister Anandasangaree has asked the CBSA to provide more specific details on how this particular incident occurred.”

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Nature of the Interrogation

Falk told Al Jazeera that he and Elver were questioned about their work on Israel, Gaza, and allegations of genocide, as well as their participation in an Ottawa event investigating Canada’s role in Israel’s Gaza conflict, which a UN inquiry and multiple rights groups have described as genocide. After more than four hours, the couple, both US citizens, were allowed to enter Canada and participate in the Palestine Tribunal on Canadian Responsibility.

Alex Paterson, senior director at Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, called the government’s actions “patently ridiculous” and suggested that the interrogation was an attempt to suppress scrutiny of Canada’s complicity in arms exports to Israel.

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Broader Human Rights and Policy Context

Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023, Canadian human rights advocates have pressed the government to apply pressure on Israel to end military attacks. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have died, and the region faces a humanitarian crisis.

While Prime Minister Mark Carney, in office since March, has expressed opposition to the Israeli blockade on Gaza and recognized an independent Palestinian state in September, activists argue that loopholes in Canadian arms export controls continue to allow weapons to reach Israel, often via the United States.

Falk described the interrogation as indicative of a “climate of governmental insecurity”, aimed at silencing voices critical of Canadian foreign policy and human rights abuses abroad.

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CBSA and Government Response

A CBSA spokesperson emphasized that secondary inspections are routine for foreign nationals seeking entry into Canada and are not considered detentions. The agency noted that these inspections may take longer when additional information is being gathered through questioning.

Global Affairs Canada has not yet commented on the incident. Advocacy groups argue that treating someone like Falk as a national security threat raises serious concerns about civil liberties and the suppression of dissent in Canada.

Balsam stated:

“We all deserve an answer and an explanation from the government as to this incident, which casts a chill for all Canadians that are speaking out about human rights in general and Palestine in particular.”