Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue, leading the public inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian affairs, revealed she held 22 secret meetings with immigrant communities to gather firsthand accounts of foreign intimidation. Blacklock's Reporter says these clandestine sessions aimed to protect informants who might face serious risks from foreign agents.“For security reasons, these meetings took place in private at undisclosed locations,” Hogue said in a Notice to the Public. “The people the Commission met were not witnesses in the strict sense of the term.”During August and September, Hogue and her team conducted interviews with 105 witnesses from vulnerable diaspora groups, including Hong Kongers, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetans, and Falun Dafa Association members. These communities have been particularly affected by foreign interference, specifically from the People’s Republic of China, and shared their personal experiences with transnational repression.“They were invited to respond to the following two questions in the language of their choice: What impact does foreign interference in Canada’s electoral processes and democratic institutions have on you, your loved ones and members of your community? And what are your suggestions?” Hogue explained.These closed-door meetings followed public testimony in March, where Chinese émigrés described persistent intimidation by the Chinese Communist Party in Canada. Winnie Ng, co-chair of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China, detailed how China’s influence extended beyond elections to media control and community organizations.Uyghur community leader Mehmet Tohti highlighted the threats faced by his small Muslim minority in Canada, explaining that family members abroad were used as leverage to compel compliance with Chinese authorities. “It is about threats,” Tohti testified. “It is about hijacking your family members to force you or compel you to follow the rules of the hostile regime.”Tohti underscored the importance of the inquiry for protecting Canada’s democratic future, saying, “The success of this public inquiry into foreign interference is crucial for the future of our own nation... The stakes of inaction are very high for our future generations.”Hogue’s secret meetings are part of the broader effort to address growing concerns about foreign interference and safeguard Canada's electoral processes.
