Prominent Sikh separatist says FBI has warned him of new threat on his life

On August 12, a prominent Sikh separatist named Gurpatwant Singh Pannun received a visit from FBI agents who informed him that he is under a new, serious threat to his life. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) also contacted him by telephone on Tuesday, though they did not disclose the specific threat. As a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, Pannun is required to follow the "Duty to Warn" law, which compels U.S. intelligence and law enforcement to alert individuals about credible and specific threats of murder, severe bodily harm, or kidnapping.

The new threat surfaced as Nikhil Gupta, an Indian man who pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges in February, prepares for his sentencing on November 20. Gupta is accused of plotting a 2023 assassination attempt against Pannun with the help of an Indian government employee. However, Gupta was unknowingly communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hitman. If convicted, Gupta faces a minimum of 20 years in prison.

Pannun, who advocates for the creation of a sovereign Sikh state and has been labeled a terrorist by the Indian government, expressed that he remains undeterred by the threats. He stated that he is not afraid of their death threats, but he hopes that the administrations of President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will confront Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the threats to U.S. and Canadian sovereignty.

Pannun, who described himself as a Sikh human rights lawyer campaigning for equal religious rights in Punjab, received similar "Duty to Warn" advisories from Canadian law enforcement officials in the weeks leading up to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the ex-head of the Canadian chapter of the Khalistan Referendum, on June 18, 2023.