Photo Credit: CBC News, May 2018
Recent CBC coverage of Dr. Hassan Diab’s ordeal highlights the role the Canadian Department of Justice played in facilitating Hassan’s extradition to France. When the case against Hassan was falling apart, after the defense discredited the French handwriting analysis, Senior Department of Justice lawyers urged French authorities to produce “new” handwriting analysis. Justice Department lawyers also suppressed fingerprint evidence showing Hassan’s innocence.
We urge you to join us in calling for an independent public inquiry into Hassan’s case and reforming Canada’s extradition law so that no other Canadian is subjected to such a flawed and unfair process. We do not have faith in an internal review by the Department of Justice which, in the first place, was responsible for Hassan’s ordeal.
Amnesty International Canada and the BC Civil Liberties Association sent an open letter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Foreign Affairs calling on them to launch a thorough public inquiry into Hassan’s case. Also, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) called for an independent public inquiry into Hassan’s treatment. MP Murray Rankin, Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, raised Hassan’s case in Parliament and called for an independent public inquiry.
We ask you to add your voice by writing to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling upon him to launch a thorough, independent public inquiry into Hassan’s case. Please copy the Ministers of Justice and Foreign Affairs and your member of Parliament on your letter, and share your correspondence with diabsupport@gmail.com.
A sample letter is available:
Also, please post on social media and write articles and op-eds calling for a public inquiry.
For More Information:
- “Canada helped France dig up evidence to extradite Ottawa man later freed on terror charges”, CBC News, May 1, 2018
- “Extradition could happen to anyone, says professor fighting for change in law”, CBC Radio – The Current, May 2, 2018 (Audio)
- “Canada’s role in innocent man’s imprisonment”, CBC The National, May 1, 2018 (Video)
- ‘What more can you lose?’ CBC News, May 1, 2018
- Amnesty/BCCLA letter, May 2, 2018
- CAUT letter, May 3, 2018
- MP Murray Rankin raising Hassan’s case in Parliament, May 3, 2018 (Video)
- Don Bayne, Hassan’s Canadian lawyer, talks about the issues raised by Canada’s role in Diab’s extradition case, CBC The House, May 5, 2018 (Audio)
Hassan Diab Support Committee
diabsupport@gmail.com
http://www.justiceforhassandiab.org