Allegation that the RCMP failed to investigate threats against the Complainant and their family made by a foreign government

The complainant came to Canada as a refugee fleeing violent persecution. As a result of litigation against their former employer, who was linked to the government of a foreign state, the complainant alleged that they had been the victim of death threats from their former employer and government officials of the country from which they had fled. The complainant believed these threats to be credible, as they were often accompanied by contemporaneous details, such as the complainant’s clothing during a particular outing and the location they attended. The complainant believed that representatives of the aforementioned government employed at the country’s embassy in Canada were assisting in the surveillance of the complainant and their family, including their children while at school. 

The complainant alleged that the RCMP failed to conduct a complete investigation into incidents involving threats, including death threats, made against the complainant and their family, and that these decisions by the RCMP were improperly influenced by foreign individuals. 

The evidence provided by the RCMP demonstrated that it took the necessary steps to review the information submitted by the complainant, but determined that there were insufficient grounds for the RCMP to continue their investigation of the foreign influence aspects of the threats. However, the local police force was the police of jurisdiction for investigating the criminal harassment, threats, and safety concerns related to the complainant. The RCMP advised this police force that information collected by the RCMP would be turned over to them, and asked to be notified should the local police force identify someone in Canada working on behalf of a foreign government to threaten or intimidate the complainant. NSIRA found the RCMP’s initial investigation to be reasonably thorough and their ultimate decision to be a justifiable exercise of police discretion. 

Furthermore, there was no evidence before NSIRA to support the complainant’s allegation that the RCMP’s decision to discontinue their investigation was improperly influenced by foreign individuals. 

The complainant’s allegations were found to be unsupported.