October 25, 2018
French Court of Appeal Decision in Hassan Diab’s Case Expected on October 26, 2018
On Friday October 26, 2018, the French court of appeal will rule to uphold or overturn a decision by two French investigating judges in January of this year to dismiss the case against Dr. Hassan Diab, allowing him to return to his home in Canada.
The investigating judges have found that there is consistent evidence that Hassan was in Lebanon at the time of the 1980 bombing that tragically killed four people and injured dozens. They also notably underlined the numerous contradictions and misstatements contained in the anonymous intelligence, and cast serious doubts about its reliability. The investigating judges also stressed that all fingerprint and palm print analysis excluded Hassan. However, despite conceding that there is credible evidence excluding Hassan, the French prosecutor appealed the dismissal decision and asked the Court of Appeal to put Diab on trial.
On the day of the decision (October 26), at 11:00 am Eastern, the Hassan Diab Support Committee will hold a press conference to comment on the decision and respond to questions from the media. Don Bayne (Diab’s Canadian lawyer), Alex Neve (Secretary General of Amnesty International, Canada), and Hassan Diab will speak at the press conference.
What: Press conference on the French Court of Appeal decision in Hassan Diab’s case
Where: Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario
When: Friday October 26, 2018, 11:00 am Eastern Time
Live-Stream:
You can watch the press conference live via a live-steam provided by the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG). To watch the live-stream, go to the ICLMG Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/iclmg.csilc
The live-stream will be the top post on the page. Alternatively, you may access the live-stream by clicking on the “videos” link on the left side of the page.
Thank You for Signing Parliamentary Petition Calling for Public Inquiry!
Many thanks to everyone who signed our petition calling on the Government of Canada to conduct a thorough and independent public inquiry into the extradition of Dr. Hassan Diab. The petition closed on September 13 with 1,584 signatures.
https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-1674
Hassan spent almost ten years under draconian bail conditions in Canada or imprisoned, including over three years in solitary confinement in France. Canada’s flawed Extradition Act, combined with questionable actions by Justice Department lawyers, resulted in a flagrant violation of his Charter Rights.
Numerous human rights and civil society organisations – including Amnesty International (Canada), British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, Canadian Association of University Teachers, Criminal Lawyers Association, and the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group – have called on the Canadian government to conduct an independent public inquiry into Diab’s extradition, as well as to undertake a complete review of the Extradition Act so no other Canadian would go through what Hassan Diab and his family had to endure.
Articles about Hassan Diab’s Case
‘Hassan Diab is another Canadian let down by our government”, by Monia Mazigh, May 2, 2018
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-hassan-diab-is-another-canadian-let-down-by-our-government
“Canada betrays its own citizens. Hassan Diab’s case is among its most egregious”, by Neil Macdonald, September 15, 2018
https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/hassan-diab-1.4823570
Hassan Diab – What Happened, Voices- Voix, October 2018
http://voices-voix.ca/en/facts/profile/hassan-diab
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