Former UN rapporteur questioned in Canada over work on Israeli atrocities

TORONTO, Canada (MNTV) – Former UN special rapporteur Richard Falk says he and his wife were questioned for hours on national security grounds upon arriving in Canada to participate in a Gaza-focused tribunal examining Canada’s role in Israel’s actions in the besieged territory.

Falk told Al Jazeera that he and legal scholar Hilal Elver were detained Thursday on arrival at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

“A security person came and said, ‘We’ve detained you both because we’re concerned that you pose a national security threat to Canada,’” he recounted.

The couple, both US citizens, were en route to the Palestine Tribunal, which convened international experts to assess Canada’s role in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Falk said they were held for more than four hours and questioned about their work on Israel, Gaza, and genocide, describing the interrogation as “random and disorganised” despite lacking aggression.

He said the episode reflects a broader pattern of governments attempting to “punish those who endeavour to tell the truth” about global injustices, including in Gaza.

“It suggests a climate of governmental insecurity,” Falk added.

The Canada Border Services Agency declined to comment on specific cases but said security assessments often involve routine primary and secondary inspections.

Senator Yuen Pau Woo, who supports the tribunal, said he was “appalled” that two respected human rights experts were treated as potential security threats.

“They have been outspoken in documenting the horrors inflicted on Gaza by Israel, and advocating for justice,” he said.