Canada’s foreign minister announced Thursday that the country had withdrawn 41 of its diplomats from India after the Indian government announced it would revoke their diplomatic immunity, escalating conflict over the assassination of a Sikh separatist in Canada.

The measures come after Canada indicated that India may be involved in the murder of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in a Vancouver suburb last June. India accused Canada of harboring separatists and “terrorists” but called the allegation of its involvement in the killing “absurd” and took diplomatic steps to express its outrage.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Thursday that 41 of 62 Canadian diplomats in India, along with their dependents, had been withdrawn. Joly said exceptions had been made for the 21 Canadian diplomats who will remain in India.

“Forty-one Canadian diplomats and 42 members of their families were at risk of having their immunity lifted on an arbitrary date, which would jeopardize their personal safety,” Joly said. “Our diplomats and their families have already left the country.”

Joly said the lifting of diplomatic immunity is not only unprecedented, but contrary to international law, and that is why Canada would not threaten to do the same with Indian diplomats.

“The unilateral withdrawal of diplomatic privileges and immunity goes against international law and constitutes a flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention on Diplomatic Relations. “Threatening to do so is illogical and leads to escalation,” Joly said.

Joly said India’s decision would affect the level of services provided to citizens of both countries. He said Canada would suspend in-person services in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had previously called for a reduction in the number of Canadian diplomats in India, saying they outnumber Indian personnel in Canada.