French Prosecutors concede that there is credible evidence pointing to Hassan Diab’s Innocence, However, because of the political climate in France, they still want to proceed with a trial based on anonymous intelligence that French authorities received from a foreign service. This is despite the fact that the anonymous intelligence was discredited and withdrawn from the extradition hearing in Canada because of its extremely problematic nature.

Canadian government officials have been merely raising concerns about the delays in Hassan’s case. Neither Prime Minister Trudeau nor any other government official has asked for Hassan’s release or even objected to putting Hassan on trial based on anonymous intelligence. This is despite the fact that such a trial would be contrary to fundamental justice, contrary to our Charter, and a recipe for wrongful conviction.

Such a trial would not be allowed to happen to a Canadian citizen in Canada, much less when, according to the evidence gathered by the investigating judge, Hassan was not in France at the time of the 1980 crime.

Please, we urge you to call or write to PM Justin Trudeau urging him to speak out against putting Hassan Diab on trial based on discredited unsourced intelligence, and asking him to use the full force of his office to bring Hassan home. As you know, the Canadian government extradited Hassan to France in 2014, even though the evidence against him was known to be “suspect”, “illogical”, “convoluted”, and “very problematic” (in the words of the extradition judge). The Canadian government has a moral obligation to help Hassan and bring him home now.

On Wednesday or Thursday December 20 or 21, please call Prime Minister Trudeau’s office at 1-613-992-4211, or Fax him at 1-613-941-6900. You may also call his constituency office (Papineau, Quebec) at 1-514-277-6020.

When you call, please be courteous, say good morning (or good afternoon, etc.) and give your name and where you are calling from. It is likely you will be talking to an answering machine.

Please leave a firm but polite message to this effect:

“Prime Minister Trudeau, I am calling to strongly urge you to speak out against putting Dr. Hassan Diab on trial in France based on secret and unsourced intelligence. I urge you to use the full force of your office to secure Hassan’s release and bring him back to his home in Canada.

As you know, the French investigative judges found “consistent evidence” that Hassan was not in France in 1980 when the hateful attack occurred. French prosecutors are conceding that there is credible evidence pointing to Dr. Diab’s innocence, yet they are asking for Hassan to be tried based on secret, unsourced intelligence that French authorities received from a foreign service. This same intelligence was discredited and withdrawn from the extradition hearing in Canada because of its extremely problematic nature.

The Government of Canada cannot condone a trial based on secret, unsourced intelligence, and must object to subjecting a Canadian citizen to such an unjust trial.

Please, uphold Canadian standards, do all you can to prevent Dr. Hassan Diab’s wrongful conviction, and bring Hassan back to his home and family in Canada.”
____________

PLEASE, DO NOT HESITATE TO PHONE EVERY DAY IF YOU FEEL SO INCLINED!
Also, please share this call for help with your friends and family.

Recent Articles on Dr. Hassan Diab’s Case:

• “Why Hassan Diab’s ongoing incarceration in France is Canada’s ‘Dreyfus Affair’”, by Heather Menzies, Ottawa Citizen, 27 November, 2017
• “Hassan Diab case: ‘A labyrinth of injustice’”, by Mersiha Gadzo, Aljazeera English, 16 December 2017

With much appreciation,

Hassan Diab Support Committee