Category Archives: General

Media Statement: Hassan Diab – An Innocent Man Scapegoated by Lies and Disinformation

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Since November 2024, there has been a concerted and malicious campaign against Dr. Hassan Diab, which has directly triggered hate mail and death threats against Hassan, his wife, and two children.

The Hassan Diab Support Committee, which has been active on Hassan Diab’s behalf for over sixteen years, has issued a Media Statement to provide the true fundamental facts which are being ignored or deliberately distorted by those who seek to scapegoat this innocent man.

The label “convicted synagogue bomber”, plastered on Dr. Diab’s identity, is a vilification resting on the verdict of an in absentia bogus trial at the Paris Special Assize Court in 2023. The trial was designed to convict Hassan Diab, and the verdict resulted from defamatory fabrications, secret “intelligence”, denial of exculpatory evidence, and perjury. It is important to note that during the trial, the two investigating judges (Jean-Marc Herbaut and Richard Foltzer), testified in Hassan’s defence, repeating their original conclusion that there was no basis for a conviction. The Special Assize Court ignored their findings and declared Hassan guilty.

The unjust French conviction was based on secret, unsourced, uncircumstanced and unreliable “intelligence” – inadmissible in the Canadian system of justice. Canada must not be party to this injustice and must state urgently and unequivocally that Hassan Diab will not be subjected to a second extradition.

Read the full Media statement.

Please Take Two Actions to Counter Unjust and Hateful Attacks Against Dr. Hassan Diab

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A coordinated campaign of disinformation, harassment, and death threats is being levelled at Dr. Hassan Diab, demanding his termination from his teaching position at Carleton University, and his extradition to France for a crime he did not commit.

  1. Take a minute to send a letter to the Carleton University administration and Board of Governors, urging them to not succumb to pressure and to protect Dr. Hassan Diab. He is an innocent man, wrongfully declared guilty in absentia in a sham French trial in April 2023.
  1. Take a minute to send a letter to the Canadian Minister of Justice, Mr. Arif Virani, and the Canadian government, urging the Canadian government to protect Dr. Hassan Diab and refuse any second request for his extradition to France.
     
    Écrire une lettre au gouvernement canadien.

Interview on CBC Power & Politics, November 21, 2024

Watch Don Bayne, Hassan Diab’s lawyer, and supporter Roger Clark counter the disinformation campaign against Hassan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XV2khYDo2o

Additional News and Support

Canada Must Protect Hassan Diab from Malicious Threats and a Second Extradition!

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On November 21, 2024, CBC “Power and Politics” host, David Cochrane, interviewed Don Bayne (Hassan Diab’s Canadian Lawyer) and Roger Clark (Representative of the Hassan Diab Support Committee).

The recent threats against Dr. Hassan Diab highlight the lack of knowledge about his case and a malicious misinformation campaign. The Canadian government’s silence since his wrongful “conviction” in absentia in 2023 has allowed criminal threats to surface and allowed public figures to misstate — either negligently or knowingly — the facts of Hassan’s case.

The Canadian Government must protect Hassan Diab and publicly state that it will not accept any request for Hassan Diab’s extradition to France (a second time) for a crime he did not commit.

Senator Marilou McPhedran poses questions about the case of Dr. Hassan Diab during the October 9, 2024, session of the Senate of Canada

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Senator Marilou McPhedran posed the following questions:

“In 2014, Canadian citizen Dr. Hassan Diab was accused of terrorism, extradited to France, imprisoned there for over three years, until exonerated by French courts for lack of credible evidence. In 2023, he was retried in absentia by France on the same discredited evidence and sentenced to life in prison. Back here in Canada, he now may be facing a second extradition request. Outraged by this appalling treatment of Dr. Diab, some 4,000 Canadians recently signed a petition calling upon our government to deny any future extradition request and protect Dr. Diab’s rights. In its official response, the Federal government refused to confirm that Dr. Diab will be protected under Canadian law and shielded from any future extradition request. I remind you that Prime Minister Trudeau stated in 2011 that what happened to Dr. Diab never should have happened. How can the government justify this position?”

“The French and Canadian abuses in this shameful case have been well documented by legal scholars, the Department of Justice review, and the House of Commons Justice Committee. All have identified an unjust lack of transparency and disclosure in the current Extradition Act. Ignoring Canadian law in Dr. Diab’s case, exculpatory evidence long known to French and Canadian authorities was not disclosed. How can the government now commit to protecting Dr. Diab?”

Update on Parliamentary Petition e-4901 and Open Letter to the Minister of Justice

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Government Response to Parliamentary Petition e-4901

On June 12, 2024, Parliamentary petition e-4901 was presented to the Government of Canada. The petition calls upon the government to formally declare that “Canada will neither accept nor agree to any second request from the French Government for the extradition of Dr. Hassan Diab”. More than 3,500 Canadians, from every province and territory, have signed the petition.

On August 21, 2024, the government issued its response, stating:

“The Government of Canada cannot confirm or deny the existence of requests for extradition as this would disclose confidential state-to-state communications. The Government of Canada emphasizes that all extradition requests that are received are examined carefully, taking into consideration the totality of the relevant circumstances, the Extradition Act, Canada’s international obligations, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

This response is totally unacceptable and fails to even address the substance of the petition. The failure of the Canadian Government to acknowledge the pain it continues to inflict on Dr. Diab and on his family is an outrage. There have been cases where the Canadian Government has disclosed whether an extradition request has been made. So, it is misleading for the government to assert that it “cannot confirm or deny the existence of requests for extradition”. By hiding behind duplicitous legalese and using the camouflage of confidentiality, Canada is evading its legal, moral, and human responsibility. What is worse, it only serves to prolong the nightmare it has created.

Open Letter to the Minister of Justice Arif Virani

On September 3, 2024, an Open Letter, signed by 117 leading lawyers and legal scholars in Canada, was submitted to the Minister of Justice, Arif Virani.

The letter urges Minister Virani “to give clear assurances that Dr. Hassan Diab will not be extradited a second time for a crime he did not commit” and calls on the government to implement all recommendations of the report, “Reforming Canada’s Extradition System” by the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (JUST).”

A copy of the Open Letter submitted to Minister Virani is available at:

https://www.justiceforhassandiab.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Letter-to-Minister-Virani-re-Hassan-Diab-Signed-2024-09-03.pdf

Statements of Support for Dr. Hassan Diab

Letter from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) to the Minister of Justice, Arif Virani (August 27, 2024):

“The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is writing to urge you to make a public commitment not to commit Dr. Hassan Diab, a Canadian citizen, to a second extradition to France. Every day that Dr. Diab and his family are left in limbo contributes to sustaining harms that have been endured. It is time to take a clear and public stance that Canada will not entertain a second extradition request by France…”

Read the full CCLA letter:
https://www.justiceforhassandiab.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2024-08-27-CCLA-Letter-to-Justice-Minister-Virani.pdf

Statement from the Green Party of Canada (August 28, 2024):

“The Green Party of Canada expresses deep disappointment with the Government of Canada’s inadequate response to Petition e-4901, which seeks to address the ongoing injustices faced by Dr. Hassan Diab and his family. The government’s statement, which merely reiterates the confidentiality of extradition requests, fails to provide the meaningful response that Canadians deserve…”

Read the full Green Party statement:
https://www.greenparty.ca/en/media-release/2024-08-28/green-party-canada-stands-against-extradition-dr-hassan-diab

Please Spread the Word

Please spread the word about the Canadian Government’s inadequate response to Parliamentary petition e-4901, the Open Letter, and the need to take decisive action to protect Hassan.

Please share and repost the following social media posts:

X (formerly Twitter):
https://x.com/JusticeForHDiab/status/1830009777704890477
https://x.com/JusticeForHDiab/status/1830713368665043209

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/JusticeforHDiab/videos/1153433425749231
https://www.facebook.com/JusticeforHDiab/videos/1251584042525690

Thank you for your continued support!

Hassan Diab Recounts His Release from French Prison on January 12, 2018

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Dr. Hassan Diab was wrongfully extradited from Canada to France in 2014, for alleged involvement in the Rue Copernic bombing in Paris in 1980. He spent more than three years in a French prison before investigative judges determined that there was no evidence linking him to the crime, and ordered his immediate and unconditional release.

While this captured a moment of pure joy, sadly it did not last long. The French prosecutor appealed the release decision for political reasons and Hassan remains under the threat of being extradited once again to France for a crime he did not commit.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must honour his words on June 20, 2018, when he acknowledged that “this is something that obviously was an extremely difficult situation to go through for himself [Hassan], for his family” and promised to “make sure that it never happens again”.

Music credit: “Compassion” by Edoy / License:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

Thank You – Hassan Diab Petition Presented to Parliament!

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Our latest petition for Dr. Hassan Diab closed on Monday, June 10 with 3,578 signatures. Tremendous thanks to everyone who helped to make our Parliamentary petition a success by signing and sharing the petition!

https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4901 (English)
https://www.noscommunes.ca/petitions/fr/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4901 (Français)

The petition calls upon the Government of Canada to “formally declare that Canada will neither accept nor agree to any second request from the French Government for the extradition of Dr. Hassan Diab in connection with the 1980 Paris attack.”

The petition was sponsored by NDP Member of Parliament Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona) who presented the petition to Parliament on Wednesday June 12, 2024. The Canadian Government has 45 calendar days to respond to the petition. If the House is not sitting on that day, the response must be presented at the next sitting of the House. Realistically, we can expect the Government to respond shortly after the House resumes sitting on September 16.

This petition comes on the heels of a report by the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (JUST) entitled “Reforming Canada’s Extradition System”, which highlighted Hassan’s case as a shocking example of the shortcomings of Canada’s Extradition Act. The report included 20 recommendations for reforming Canada’s Extradition Act.

https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/JUST/report-13

The Canadian government must protect Hassan Diab from further injustice, refuse any second request for Hassan’s extradition, and implement the reforms proposed by JUST as soon as possible.

Please spread the word about the petition made to the Canadian Government and the urgent need for a strong positive response.

Parliamentary Petition Closes Soon
Please Sign & Share!

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Please sign Parliamentary Petition e-4901 to the Government of Canada and share it widely. The petition closes on June 10.

IMPORTANT: Please check your email immediately after signing the petition and respond to an email asking you to confirm your signature. This will ensure that your name gets added to the petition.

Hassan Diab continues to be subjected to a prolonged and unjust ordeal created by Canada and France. More than one year ago, a French court unjustly declared him guilty and sentenced him in absentia to life in prison for a crime he did not commit. The Canadian government must protect Hassan and say NO to any second extradition request from France.

Hear what supporters are saying about the petition…

One Year on From French Court INJUSTICE, Hassan Diab Remains Unprotected and in Limbo

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One year ago, on 21 April 2023, the Special Court of Assize in Paris unjustly declared Canadian citizen Hassan Diab guilty, based on unfounded allegations and flawed intelligence that is not allowed in a Canadian court. He was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for a crime he did not commit: the 1980 bombing outside a Paris synagogue.

Driven by political pressure to scapegoat an innocent man, the Special Court of Assize trial ignored exonerating evidence and the alibi firmly establishing Dr. Diab’s presence in Beirut, Lebanon, at the time of the tragic 1980 attack. The prosecutors were allowed to vilify the accused, filibuster, and steal the defense’s speaking time. The court had no transcripts or other recording of the event.

In a mind-boggling irony, the Court of Assize in 2023 relied on the intelligence that France had withdrawn from the Canadian extradition hearing in 2011 to declare him guilty, AND discarded the handwriting analysis that was used to commit him to extradition in 2014 due to its unreliability.

In short, the intelligence which was withdrawn from the extradition proceedings more than a decade ago became France’s basis for sentencing Hassan Diab to life in prison in 2023. Meanwhile, the handwriting analysis that was used to extradite him was discarded by the Special Court of Assize. In essence, France and Canada cancelled each other’s grounds for inculpating Hassan Diab.

Dr. Hassan Diab continues to be subjected to a prolonged and unjust ordeal created by Canada and France. The French court’s declaration of guilt one year ago prolongs the suffering of Hassan and his family. The Canadian government must say NO to a second extradition request from France (whether already submitted or to be submitted).

Read the full media notice.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Featured Video: Roger Clark invites you to sign our new petition:
https://youtu.be/BwgMiooWe9Q

Petition in English:
https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4901

Pétition en français:
https://noscommunes.ca/petitions/fr/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4901

The petition will close for signatures on June 10, 2024, at 1:10 pm (EDT).
Please distribute widely!

Please Phone Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Urging Him to Protect Hassan Diab

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Please take a few minutes to phone Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and urge him to protect Dr. Hassan Diab and refuse any request from France for Hassan’s extradition.

Here is PM Trudeau’s contact information:

      Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
      Hill Office – House of Commons:
      Phone: 1 (613) 992-4211

      Constituency Office (Montreal, Quebec):
      Phone: 1 (514) 277-6020

When you call, you will probably be transferred to leave your message on an answering machine. Please, leave a polite message, and say your name, town/province, and phone number.

Here is the KEY MESSAGE we want to communicate to the Prime Minister:

  • Canada must protect Hassan Diab and say No to any request from France for his extradition.

Here are some additional things you may wish to say:

  • The government has a moral obligation to protect Hassan.
  • In 2018, Hassan was released after two experienced French investigative judges determined that there was no evidence linking him to the 1980 attack.
  • In declaring Hassan guilty, the French Court of Assize ignored all exonerating evidence and relied on flawed intelligence information that is not allowed in a Canadian Court.
  • Hassan’s fingerprints and palm prints do not match those of the suspect.
  • Hassan and his family have suffered long enough.
  • I am very concerned that France is scapegoating Hassan Diab for a crime he did not commit.
  • Honour the words you said in 2018: “What happened to Hassan Diab never should have happened”, and make sure that it never happens again!

Background

Hassan Diab is a Canadian sociology professor who has taught at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. He was wrongfully extradited from Canada to France in 2014 for his alleged involvement in a bombing outside a Paris synagogue in 1980.

After spending over three years in a French prison, two French investigative magistrates found no evidence to send him to trial and released him unconditionally. Dr. Diab returned to his home in Canada in 2018. However, the French prosecutor appealed his release and, on April 21, 2023, Dr. Diab was sentenced in absentia to life in prison.

With this devastating development, it is urgent that we raise awareness about Hassan’s case and protect him from another wrongful extradition to France and life imprisonment for a crime he did not commit.

Thank you for your support!