Interjit Singh Reyat apologized to the families of Air India victims and expressed his regrets in an emotional address in court at the end of a sentencing hearing on a conviction of perjury.
But he did not spell out in court on Thursday what he regretted or why he was apologizing. He did not refer to the lies he spoke under oath that led to his conviction for perjury. Nor did he reveal any new information about the Air India conspiracy, the most significant unsolved criminal case in Canadian history.
Mr. Reyat, 58, was convicted of perjury in September after a jury ruled that he had made untruthful statements during testimony in the trial in 2003 of B.C. residents Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri. Both Mr. Malik and Mr. Bagri were acquitted of all charges. Crown prosecutor Len Doust has said that the outcome of the trial might have been different if Mr. Reyat had told what he knew about the Air India disaster.
Mr. Reyat has also been convicted of manslaughter in the deaths of 331 people for his role in a Vancouver-based conspiracy of Sikh separatists to blow up airplanes. He brought together parts for two bombs that exploded on June 23, 1985.
After a two-day hearing, Mr. Justice Mark McEwan of the B.C. Supreme Court said on Thursday that he would release his decision on sentencing on Jan. 7.
Mr. Reyat's statement to the court was read out by his lawyer, Ian Donaldson. Mr. Reyat, in a dark blue turban and wearing a casual sport jacket, sweater and open-collared shirt, stood in the prisoner's box looking over Mr. Donaldson's shoulder as the lawyer read out the statement. No explanation was offered for why Mr. Reyat did not read it himself. Mr. Reyat began wiping tears from his eyes as Mr. Donaldson completed the address.
"No words in any language can ever bring closure to those who have lost loved ones as a result of the Air India and Narita tragedies," Mr. Reyat said, referring to explosions on opposite sides of the world. "Neither can words bring back those who perished in such tragic circumstances. I sincerely apologize to each and every one of the victims who have been left with such grief of burden to bear."
Later, he apologized for troubling the court with his presence. "I regret these events," he said.
Mr. Reyat also spoke of his faith in the Sikh religion, which he said has given him strength to survive recent decades. He said he prays each day for those who continue to suffer as a result of the Air India disaster.
Crown prosecutor Len Doust told the court immediately afterward that Mr. Reyat, even after his conviction, had not come forward with the truth. Judge McEwan asked what he was to make of Mr. Reyat's extensive comments about his religion. Mr. Donaldson said Mr. Reyat was providing information about his background and not intending for his religion to be a factor in sentencing.
The perjury conviction was based on Mr. Reyat's testimony about conversations with Talwinder Singh Parmar, the alleged mastermind of the Air India explosions, and with a man called Mr. X, who allegedly took away the bomb parts that Mr. Reyat collected, Mr. Donaldson said.
The court could not, as a matter of principle, speculate on whether truthful testimony by Mr. Reyat would have made any difference in the acquittal of Mr. Malik and Mr. Bagri, Mr. Donaldson said.