In a decision that shocks the conscience, the French judiciary has set an April 2023 date for the trial of Ottawa professor Dr. Hassan Diab. This is a shocking and inexplicable reversal of the January 2018 decision clearing Dr. Diab of all accusations and freeing him unconditionally. France continues its baseless prosecution more than four years after Hassan was exonerated by French anti-terrorism magistrates.
The Hassan Diab Support Committee will hold a press conference commenting on the setting of a trial date.
- What: Press conference (Zoom) reacting to the announcement by the French judiciary of a trial date for Dr. Hassan Diab
- When: Tuesday, 25 January, 2022, at 10:30 am (EST)
A livestream of the press conference will be available on the ICLMG Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/iclmg.csilc
At the press conference, Tim McSorley (National Coordinator, International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group – ICLMG), Jo Wood (representing the Hassan Diab Support Committee), Alex Neve (Former Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, Senior Fellow at the University of Ottawa, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs), and Rob Currie (Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University), will comment on the shocking implications for Dr. Diab and his family.
A copy of the media advisory about the press conference is available: here
How You Can Help
Canada must speak out in defence of this innocent Canadian who faces a continuing miscarriage of justice. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government must declare publicly that Canada will NOT entertain another French request for Hassan’s extradition. PM Trudeau must honour the words he uttered in 2018:
“I think, for Hassan Diab, we have to recognize first of all that what happened to him never should have happened […] and make sure that it never happens again.”
1) Send a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Please send a letter to PM Trudeau asking him to honour his words and put an end to Dr. Hassan Diab’s long and troubling ordeal. You may write your own letter, or send the online letter at:
- If you live in Canada: https://iclmg.ca/diab-letter
(a copy of the letter will be sent to your Member of Parliament) - If you live outside Canada: https://iclmg.ca/diab-letter-intl
2) Email the “Act Now Sir!” Video to PM Trudeau
Email PM Trudeau (pm@pm.gc.ca) a link to the following video/poem by Michelle Weinroth, asking him to intervene and protect Hassan.
3) Send a Postcard to PM Trudeau
Postcards addressed to PM Trudeau are available at Octopus Books, 116 Third Avenue, Ottawa. Please drop by Octopus Books to sign a postcard, and get extra postcards to share with friends.
If you are not in the Ottawa area, you can order postcards by sending an email to diabsupport@gmail.com indicating your postal mailing address and the number of postcards you’d like to receive, and we will gladly mail postcards to you.
- Photo of the postcard (front and back)
(No postage is necessary to mail the postcard from Canada.)
Thank you for your continued support!