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e-6783 (Foreign affairs)

E-petition
Initiated by Mirella Russell from Vancouver, British Columbia

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Minister of Justice

Whereas:
  • The Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act (CAHWCA) allows "Canada to prosecute any individual present in Canada for crimes listed in the CAHWCA regardless of that individual’s nationality or where the crimes were committed”;
  • The Foreign Enlistment Act states that “any person who, within Canada, recruits or otherwise induces any person or body of persons to enlist or to accept any commission or engagement in the armed forces of any foreign state or other armed forces operating in that state is guilty of an offence.”;
  • Credible evidence of serious violations of international law by the IDF in the Middle East suggests Canadian citizen/resident involvement;
  • The RCMP initiated a structural investigation into the matter; and
  • Canada has shown the political will to support international criminal accountability, as in Ukraine.
We, the undersigned, citizens and permanent residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Initiate investigations under The CAHWCA into Canadian citizens and residents who served in the IDF, and if warranted, lay charges or refer to international courts;
2. Cooperate with international courts by sharing findings and providing financial or law enforcement support, as exemplified by assistance to the ICC's investigation of Russian war crimes in Ukraine;
3. Direct the Canada Border Services Agency to screen Canadian citizens/residents returning from Israel for foreign military service;
4. Investigate the HESEG Foundation for violations of section 11(1) of Canada’s Foreign Enlistment Act;
5. Issue warnings that Canadians serving/volunteering with the IDF may face criminal liability under Canadian law; and
6. Create a government website to collect information from Gaza/West Bank war crime victims/witnesses, as in the case of Ukraine.
Open for signature
January 7, 2026, at 3:15 p.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
April 7, 2026, at 3:15 p.m. (EDT)
Photo - Heather McPherson
Edmonton Strathcona
New Democratic Party Caucus
Alberta