Sikh activists marked the anniversary of the killing of British Columbia temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar by holding a mock murder trial for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday outside the Indian consulate in downtown Vancouver.

On a block of Howe Street cordoned off by police, the mock trial included a jury made up of actors and a judge in a curly white wig, who invited the 害羞草研究所減rosecutor害羞草研究所� to present evidence of Modi害羞草研究所檚 involvement in the killing in Surrey, B.C., last year.

An effigy of Modi, dressed in prison stripes, was paraded down the street in a makeshift cage before the mock trial began on Tuesday.

Jatinder Singh, a lawyer and director with activist group Sikhs for Justice, told the crowd that Nijjar was 害羞草研究所渆xecuted,害羞草研究所� and quoted Martin Luther King.

害羞草研究所淚njustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,害羞草研究所� Singh said. 害羞草研究所淭his crime was against a Canadian citizen and it was perpetrated on Canadian soil, however the conspiracy and ultimate responsibility was hatched thousands and thousands of kilometres away in India.害羞草研究所�

Nijjar, a key organizer for an overseas referendum on an independent Sikh state in India, was gunned down in the parking lot of the Surrey temple where he was president on June 18 last year.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau later told Parliament that credible intelligence linked Nijjar害羞草研究所檚 death to India害羞草研究所檚 government, straining relations between Canada and India.

Four Indian nationals 害羞草研究所� Karan Brar, Amandeep Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh 害羞草研究所� are accused of murder and conspiracy in Nijjar害羞草研究所檚 killing.

Singh said they convened a 害羞草研究所減eoples害羞草研究所� court害羞草研究所� to demonstrate that Modi was responsible for Nijjar害羞草研究所檚 killing, calling the court a 害羞草研究所渧oice for the voiceless.害羞草研究所�

Several police officers guarded the consulate building as the loud spectacle unfolded, with Singh presenting news reports and a CBC documentary as 害羞草研究所渆vidence.害羞草研究所�

He said in an interview that the mock trial was meant to send a message to the Indian government that the 害羞草研究所渋ssue is not going to go away,害羞草研究所� and also bring awareness to the broader Canadian public of the risks of advocating for a Sikh homeland, known as Khalistan.

害羞草研究所淲hen you ask for independence and sovereignty there害羞草研究所檚 always a risk,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e must continue on because if we don害羞草研究所檛, then our children will also face the same danger, and their children, and their children. It is our duty to stop this danger to our people.害羞草研究所�

Ranjit Singh, who attended the mock trial, said he had been in Canada for 37 years and joined the movement for Khalistan in 1978.

He said he came to send a message to the Indian government that attacking an innocent Canadian citizen would not deter him from advocating for a Sikh homeland.

害羞草研究所淲e have to come here because how can we save my brothers and sisters who are living in India? They are not sparing us here,害羞草研究所� he said.

Sikh activist and lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said the past year has vindicated claims that India targeted separatists overseas.

The New York-based activist who himself was targeted by India according to U.S. authorities, said Nijjar害羞草研究所檚 murder was 害羞草研究所渘ot the kind of publicity害羞草研究所� the Sikh independence movement was seeking.

Pannun said Nijjar害羞草研究所檚 death and subsequent accusations by Canadian and U.S. officials had 害羞草研究所渦ncovered害羞草研究所� India害羞草研究所檚 plans to silence overseas dissidents with violence outside the law.

He said activists were pushing ahead with holding non-binding referendums in overseas Sikh communities on Khalistan independence, with the next vote slated for Calgary on July 28.

害羞草研究所淓ven though we have lost Shahid Nijjar as our main co-ordinator, we are continuing on with full resolve on the path of independence,害羞草研究所� Pannun said, referring to Nijjar with a Sikh honorific denoting martyrdom.

害羞草研究所淚f the cost of running or organizing a Khalistan referendum is a bullet, I害羞草研究所檓 ready to face that bullet.害羞草研究所�

In another statement Tuesday, Pannun said Modi 害羞草研究所渃an hide behind the diplomatic immunity for some time, but cannot be protected for (a) lifetime.害羞草研究所�

India has denied involvement in the killing and says it does not have a policy of assassinating people abroad.

The four men accused in the case are next scheduled to appear in court in Surrey on June 25.

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