Information shared by members of a intelligence sharing alliance was part of what the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used to make public accusations about the possible involvement of the Indian government in the murder of a Canadian and Sikh separatist leader, the ambassador of United States to Canada.

“Intelligence shared between Five Eyes partners helped Canada (make) the Prime Minister’s statements. »said the American ambassador David Cohen to the Canadian network CTVNews.

CTV News published some of Cohen’s comments Friday evening, and the network announced it would air the envoy’s full interview. UNITED STATES on Sunday. No further details about the information shared were disclosed.

On Thursday, a Canadian official said The Associated Press that the allegation of Indian involvement in the assassination is based on surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, including intelligence provided by a major ally, without specifying which one.

The “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing alliance is made up of Australia, Canada, United States, New Zealand and United Kingdom.

Canada-India relations hit their lowest point in recent history when Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Sikh separatist, in June in a Vancouver suburb. Both countries have expelled some of their most senior diplomats.

India, which called the allegations “absurd,” also stopped issuing visas to Canadian citizens and asked Canada to reduce its diplomatic staff.

Canada has yet to provide public evidence to support Trudeau’s claims.

Nijjar, an Indian-born plumber who became a Canadian citizen in 2007, had been wanted by India for years before he was shot dead in June outside the temple he led in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver.

The allegation of Indian involvement in the assassination is based on surveillance by Indian diplomats in Canada, including intelligence provided by an ally, he told The Associated Press on Thursday. The Associated Press a Canadian official close to the matter.

The official said the communications involved Indian officials and diplomats who were in Canada and that some intelligence information was provided by a member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance, made up of the United States, the Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. .

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, did not say which ally provided the intelligence or provide specific details about the content of the communications or whether the way in which they were obtained.

There Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was the first to report details of intelligence information.

Hours earlier, India had informed Canada that it had to reduce its diplomatic staff and stop issuing visas to Canadian citizens due to the dispute between the two countries over the accusation of Ottawa what New Delhi she could have been involved in the murder of a Canadian citizen.

Ties between the two countries, strategic security and trade partners, have fallen to their lowest level in years after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” that the India was involved in the murder of a Sikh separatist activist in a Vancouver suburb in June.

Hardeep Singh Nijjara 45-year-old Canadian citizen wanted by India for years, was shot dead in June outside his temple in the city of Surrey. Nijjar, who was a plumber, was born in India but became a Canadian citizen in 2007.

As part of the United Nations General AssemblyTrudeau acknowledged the complicated diplomatic situation he faced.

“There is no doubt that India is an increasingly important country with which we must continue to work.“, noted Trudeau. “We are not seeking to provoke or cause unrest, but we are clear about the importance of the rule of law and the protection of Canadians.”

Trudeau’s dramatic denunciation on Monday led to mutual diplomatic retaliation, with the expulsion of a diplomat from each country. India has refuted the allegation and called it “absurd”.

Canada has provided no evidence to support Trudeau’s accusations, and Canada’s ambassador to the UN, Bob Rae, noted Thursday that this likely won’t happen anytime soon. “We are only in the early stages,” Rae told reporters at the United Nations, insisting that while the facts will come to light, they must “happen in the pursuit of justice.”

“This is what we call the rule of law in Canada,” he said.

On Thursday, the company that processes Indian visas in Canada announced that its services had been suspended until further notice. BLS Indian Visa Application Center He did not provide further details.

The suspension means Canadians without a visa will not be able to travel to India until operations resume. Canadians are among the top tourists traveling to India. In 2021, approximately 80,000 Canadian tourists visited the country, according to the Indian Bureau of Immigration.

Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the suspension of visas, including those issued in third countries, was due to security concerns.

“The security threats facing our embassy and consulates in Canada have affected their normal operations. Therefore, they cannot process visa applications temporarily,” Bagchi told reporters. “We will continue to review the situation regularly.”

(With information from AP)