https://www.facebook.com/CBCPolitics/videos/394612191169058/
Statement by Dr. Hassan Diab at press conference:
“To say that the Segal report is a disappointment is a gross understatement. It is a one-sided report. Its purpose is not to provide transparency or accountability or to prevent future miscarriages of justice. Rather its purpose is to absolve the Department of Justice from any accountability and to shield senior officials at the Department from further scrutiny.
From the outset, we asked for an independent and transparent public inquiry into my wrongful extradition. We boycotted the external review because we believed that it would amount to a whitewash exercise. It is profoundly upsetting to see our concerns and fears materializing.
I endured over five years of draconian bail conditions and more than three years of imprisonment away from my family and home. My reputation was tarnished; my financial savings were wiped out; my physical and mental health deteriorated, and most importantly l missed the birth of my son and more than three years of my children’s lives.
My suffering and that of my family was prolonged due to the conduct of senior officials at the Department of Justice. Yet the report found that no one was responsible for this miscarriage of justice. Neither does the report call for a serious reform of the very problematic extradition law to ensure that Canadians are protected.
I trusted the government’s promise that what happened to me should never happen to anyone else. However, the report promises a continuation of the old way where every Canadian is at risk. It was alarming to see that the report was seeking to strengthen the existing law by recommending educating the public about extradition steps and procedures.
The report represents a total failure of accountability and transparency. We demand a public and transparent judicial inquiry because justice dies in the darkness.”
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