Geneva - Canadian authorities' detention of Euro Med Monitor's Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Prof. Richard Falk, and his wife, Prof. Hilal Elver, upon their arrival at Toronto Airport, and their interrogation on suspicion of posing a national security threat, is deeply shocking.
Euro-Med Monitor strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of its Chairman of the Board of Trustees and former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories (2008–2014), and his wife, the former Special Rapporteur on the right to food. The incident constitutes a flagrant violation of international principles on freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and the protection of academics and human rights defenders, as affirmed in the core instruments of international human rights law, foremost the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Canadian authorities detained the couple at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Thursday, 14 November. They interrogated them on suspicion of posing "a national security threat to Canada" due to their participation in the Palestine Tribunal on Canadian Responsibility, which examines the Canadian government's role in supporting serious crimes and violations committed in the Gaza Strip.
Treating an internationally recognised expert with a distinguished academic record and significant contributions to the development of international law as a "national security threat" reflects a dangerous trend of suppressing human rights and academic voices that condemn the Israeli genocide in Gaza
Security personnel escorted Falk and his wife to an interview room after confiscating their passports and questioned him extensively about his human rights work, including his participation in the tribunal event in Ottawa, his activities related to the Palestinian–Israeli conflict, and his views on Israel. They were released after four hours of questioning and permitted to enter the country.
Treating an internationally recognised expert with a distinguished academic record and significant contributions to the development of international law as a "national security threat" reflects a dangerous trend of suppressing human rights and academic voices that condemn the Israeli genocide in Gaza, which has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, most of them children and women, since October 2023. It also demonstrates a troubling disregard for Canada's international obligations to protect freedom of expression, academic research, and human rights work.
Euro-Med Monitor unequivocally rebukes the misuse of national security laws as a tool to punish human rights defenders rather than protect fundamental rights and freedoms. These practices occur as Canada continues to play a central role in supplying Israel with technology and military equipment despite growing international accusations of complicity in the genocide in Gaza.
The Palestine Tribunal for Canada's Responsibility held in Ottawa on 15 and 16 November seeks to expose the Canadian government's role in funding and facilitating Israeli violations, including arms deals worth tens of millions of Canadian dollars annually before the partial halt announced in 2024, amid strong indications that various forms of direct and indirect military support continue to flow.
The incident reflects a broader pattern of systematic persecution of those defending Palestinian rights in many Western countries, where security systems, surveillance mechanisms, and immigration procedures are used to silence legitimate criticism of Israeli crimes and to criminalise human rights advocacy calling for accountability for the genocide in Gaza.
This comes amid escalating campaigns of systematic harassment and defamation targeting Euro-Med Monitor's officials and staff as a result of the organisation's documentation of genocide and grave violations committed by the Israeli army in Gaza. Over the past two years, several officials and staff members, including Euro-Med Monitor's Chairman, Dr Ramy Abdu, have been subjected to organised harassment, character assassination attempts, and efforts aimed at deterring them from carrying out their human rights work. These practices cannot silence the truth; instead, they reveal the depth of international complicity in Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people, including genocide.
The Canadian government must issue a formal public apology to Professor Richard Falk and Professor Hilal Elver for their humiliating detention, compensate them morally and materially for the harm suffered, and take effective measures to ensure that such practices are not repeated.
Furthermore, an independent and transparent investigation into the grounds for the detention and the interrogation process must be launched, including full disclosure of any external influence from pro-Israel lobbying groups or foreign government pressure. The findings should be made public, and all those found to have abused security or immigration powers must be held accountable.
Euro-Med Monitor calls on the Canadian government to immediately end all forms of political, economic, military, and security cooperation with Israel, including prohibiting the export and re-export of weapons and components with military or dual use, and revoking all existing export licences. This is essential given the serious risk that such materials may be used to commit war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Gaza and across the occupied Palestinian territory, in line with Canada's obligation to prevent genocide and not to aid or abet it.
Canadian authorities must respect and protect freedom of expression, academic research, and human rights work, and must cease using security and immigration systems to persecute or restrict human rights defenders for their work related to the Palestinian territories. They must also ensure that such individuals can enter the country, move freely, and carry out their work without harassment or intimidation.
The international community, including national parliaments and academic and human rights institutions, must support the "Palestine Tribunal for Canada's Responsibility" and other popular and legal initiatives aimed at holding accountable the states involved in supporting the crimes committed in Gaza. They must also work to build cross-border solidarity networks that provide a safe environment for academics and human rights defenders, and prevent them from being prosecuted, denied travel, or subjected to judicial or administrative harassment for their legitimate work documenting crimes and demanding justice.
