(MENAFN) Former UN special rapporteur Richard Falk, who investigated Israeli violations against Palestinians, said he was questioned by Canadian authorities on “national security” grounds while traveling to Canada this week. Falk and his wife, legal scholar Hilal Elver, were stopped at Toronto Pearson International Airport as they attended an event related to Gaza.

“A security person came and said, ‘We’ve detained you both because we’re concerned that you pose a national security threat to Canada,’” Falk told Al Jazeera. He added, "It was my first experience of this sort – ever – in my life."

The couple, both US citizens, were attending the Palestine Tribunal, which brought together international experts to examine Canada’s role in what it called Israel’s genocide in Gaza. They were held for over four hours and questioned about their work on Israel, Gaza, and broader issues of genocide. Falk described the interrogation as “sort of random and disorganised” and noted that nothing about it was “particularly aggressive.”

Falk suggested the questioning reflects a larger international effort to “punish those who endeavour to tell the truth about what is happening” globally, including in Gaza, adding that it indicates a climate of governmental insecurity aimed at suppressing dissenting voices.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), responsible for border control, told Al Jazeera it could not comment on individual cases due to privacy regulations.

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