Interrogation of former UN rapporteur in Canada for investigating Israeli crimes in Gaza

According to RCO News Agency, Richard Falk, an international law expert from the United States, said that a few days ago, when he traveled to Canada to participate in an event related to Gaza, he was questioned by Canadian authorities for “national security” reasons.

Talking to Al Jazeera, he noted that he was interrogated at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport along with his wife, Hilal Elwer, who is a legal researcher.

Falk, 95, explained in this interview, which took place on Saturday in Ottawa, the capital of Canada: A security officer came and said, “We have detained both of you because we are concerned that you are a threat to the national security of Canada.” This was my first experience of this kind – so far – in my life.

Falk and Allor, who are both American citizens, had traveled to Ottawa to participate in the “Special Court for Palestine on Canada’s Responsibility” when they were detained for questioning.

According to Al Jazeera, the court brought together international human rights and international law experts on Friday and Saturday to examine the Canadian government’s role in Israel’s two-year bombardment of the Gaza Strip, a war that UN investigations and numerous human rights groups have described as genocide.

Falk said she and her husband were held for questioning for more than four hours, and were asked about their work in relation to Israel and Gaza, and about genocide issues in general. “There was nothing particularly aggressive about his interrogation,” he added. “It seemed to be some kind of disorder.”

Although there was nothing particularly offensive about the interrogation, it is part of a global push to punish those who try to tell the truth about what is happening in the world, including in Gaza, he stressed.

Asked about what happened to Falk and his wife, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which manages the country’s border crossings, told Al Jazeera that it could not comment on specific cases due to privacy regulations.

Like other Western countries, Canada has come under increasing pressure to end its long-standing support for the Zionist regime, as its airstrikes on Gaza, which began in October 2023, have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, displaced its two million population, and plunged the besieged enclave into a humanitarian crisis.

Ottawa announced in 2024 that it would suspend arms licenses to its West Asian ally as pressure mounted on the war, but researchers and human rights advocates say loopholes in Canada’s arms export system have meant that Canadian-made weapons continue to reach Israel, often via the United States.

Human rights groups have also called on the Canadian government to do more to support efforts to ensure Israel is held accountable for crimes against Palestinians in Gaza, including war crimes.

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