'Violation Of International Laws': Minister Joly Says India 'Unethically' Removed 41 Canadian Diplomats

Canada Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has said that India revoked the diplomatic immunity of 41 diplomats, which she said is 'contrary to international law'.

Canada Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has said that India revoked the diplomatic immunity of 41 diplomats, which she said is 'contrary to international law'.

Source : Getty

Amid the ongoing row with India, Canada Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has said that India revoked the diplomatic immunity of 41 diplomats, which she said is “contrary to international law”. She also said that Canada did not plan to retaliate in kind, so as to not "aggravate the situation."

"Revoking the diplomatic immunity of 41 diplomats is not only unprecedented but also contrary to international law," Joly said. This comes as Canada has withdrawn 41 diplomats and their 42 family members from India.

Melanie Joly said India planned to "unethically" revoke diplomatic immunity for all but 21 of Canada's diplomats and their families by Friday, forcing Ottawa to pull out the others, as reported by the news agency AFP.

This move came after India suspended visa operations to Canada and called for a reduction in Canadian diplomats in India, calling for 'parity', due to the diplomatic row between the two countries.

"As of now, I can confirm that India has formally conveyed its plan to unethically remove diplomatic immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by tomorrow, October 20. This means 41 Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having immunity stripped on an arbitrary date. And this would put their personal safety at risk," Joly said.

The Canadian Foreign Minister said, "We have facilitated their safe departure from India. This means that our diplomats and their families have now left diplomatic immunities. Keep diplomats safe, no matter where they're from and where they're sent to. Immunities allow diplomats to do their work without fear of reprisal or arrests from the country they're in."

"They are a fundamental principle of diplomacy, and this is a two-way street. They only work if every country abides by the rules. A unilateral revocation of diplomatic privilege and immunities is contrary to international law. It is a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and threatening to do so is unreasonable and escalatory. If we allow the norm of diplomatic immunity to be broken, no diplomats anywhere on the planet would be safe," she said, adding that Canada "will not reciprocate," according to CTV news.

Melanie Joly stated that her country's government held multiple conversations with the Indian government before Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's statement about "credible allegations" pertaining to New Delhi's involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.