Canada's Minister of International Development Harjit Sajjan, right, looks on as Belgium Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, wears a "One Love" armband on the tribune during the World Cup group F soccer match between Belgium and Canada, at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. Sajjan is facing opposition criticism after not making any public statement about human rights during his visit to Qatar. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Natacha Pisarenko
OTTAWA – International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan is facing opposition criticism because he did not make any public statement about human rights during his visit to Qatar.
Sajjan is headed back today from the World Cup, which he attended on behalf of the Trudeau government.
The NDP had called for a diplomatic boycott of the tournament, citing documented mistreatment of migrant workers and anti-LGBTQ policies in the host country.
Sajjan posted about the games on social media but made no mention of these issues, and his office had no response to the criticism.
On Monday, MPs passed a motion condemning FIFA for threatening to penalize players who wore armbands supporting LGBTQ people.
During the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the Liberals urged the Harper government to raise the issue of human rights in China.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 24, 2022.
