A memorandum was presented by the Sikh delegations from the UK, USA, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands to each of the three Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts they met.  The Rapportuers took it upon themselves to forward and discuss the contents with Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

A special focus in the meetings and Memorandum was given to the case of the four Sikh human rights activists (hijackers) from Switzerland that are being threatened with deportation.  In fact one of the hijackers was at each of the three meetings held with Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts.
The Memorandum focused on five key developments in the last twelve months.

These included:

1. The continued challenge against the visible Sikh identity – not only in mainland Europe, but in the UK, Canada and USA.
   
   
2. The 123-page October 2007 Human Rights Watch report - 'India: Time to Deliver Justice for Atrocities in Punjab - Investigate and Prosecute Perpetrators of ‘Disappearances’ and Killings'
   
   
3. The need to stop the imminent deportation of four Sikh human rights activists (hijackers) from Switzerland.
   
   
4. Ending the death penalty in India – Professor Davinderpal Bhullar’s case and those of Jagtar Singh and Balwant Singh, who became the latest in a line of Sikhs to be sentenced to death by hanging by the Indian authorities were raised.
   
   
5. Bringing human rights violators to justice using national laws incorporating Article 5.2 of the UN Convention against Torture, including UN assistance to prevent those involved in torture and genocide from leaving the country in which they reside
   

A full copy of the memorandum presented by the international Sikh community and the 27 Sikh organisations that supported the second World Sikh Lobby is annexed to this press release.