Help Us Keep the Pressure On — Petition and Letter-Writing Campaign for Hassan Diab

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The unjust decision earlier this year by a French Court of Appeal to send Dr. Hassan Diab to trial prolongs a 13-year miscarriage of justice. The decision ignored overwhelming evidence of Hassan’s innocence, and engaged in contradictory reasoning and unfounded speculation. Even France’s own avocat général had asked the Cour de Cassation to quash the Court of Appeal decision due to its legal flaws. However, the Cour de Cassation upheld the Court of Appeal decision.

Hassan’s Kafkaesque nightmare highlights the human cost of unjust prosecution due to politics, aided and abetted by a Canadian extradition law deficient in human rights protections.

We need to exert pressure on the Canadian government to end Hassan Diab’s persecution and prevent a wrongful conviction!

We have an ongoing Parliamentary petition and letter-writing campaign. If you haven’t done so already, please to sign the petition below:

And please send a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. You may write your own letter, or send the online letter at:

Thanks to everyone who already signed the Parliamentary petition and sent a letter to PM Trudeau!

Newest Statements by Organisations Supporting Hassan Diab

The list of civil society and human rights organisations standing in solidarity with Hassan Diab continues to grow. Organisations are urging the Canadian government to intervene, end Hassan’s Kafkaesque nightmare of injustice, and refuse a potential second extradition request from France. The latest statements are from the Canadian Association of University Teachers, the Canadian Labour Congress, and the European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control.

https://www.justiceforhassandiab.org/orgs-support-following-french-appeal-court-decision-20210127

Thank You for a Successful Fundraising Campaign!

Our campaign to raise CAD $37,000 (or 25,000 Euros) to help cover legal fees in France has concluded. Between January 27 and June 10, 2021, we received CAD $38,037 in donations, which exceeded our goal!

We extend our sincerest thanks and gratitude to all those who donated. THANK YOU for your generosity and support. It means a lot to Hassan and his family. We greatly appreciate your support!

Recent Articles and Interviews

Canada should suspend its extradition treaty with France over the persecution of Hassan Diab

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“On May 19 France’s top court upheld a lower court ruling ordering Diab to stand trial for a 1980 terrorist bombing in Paris. This is despite the fact that in 2018 the French court that originally oversaw Diab’s prosecution ordered him released and dismissed the proceeding for lack of evidence. And it’s despite the fact that even what slim and inadequate evidence existed back in 2018 has been debunked by both defence experts and the French lower court itself…

The prime minister [Justin Trudeau] recently claimed that Canada was “standing up” for Diab, as it would for other citizens targeted for unfair prosecution by foreign states; but it is not clear what is being done, and in any event, it appears it is not working…

Extradition relations between countries are meant to be built on a foundation of mutual respect and accommodation. In Canada-France extradition relations, the respect and accommodation appear to be one-sided; Canada has been eager to help France, but France has not been a good extradition partner. Suspending the extradition treaty would be a first step toward ending the persecution of Hassan Diab, and to improving an important but dysfunctional relationship.”

Read the full article by Professor Robert J. Currie:
“Canada should suspend its extradition treaty with France over the persecution of Hassan Diab”, by Robert J. Currie, June 3, 2021, rabble.ca

Politics Trumps Justice: In a shocking decision, France’s Court of Cassation upholds Court of Appeal decision ordering Dr. Diab to stand trial

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Today, in yet another shocking decision, France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, upheld the Court of Appeal decision (of January 27, 2021) ordering Dr. Hassan Diab to stand trial. As documented by Don Bayne, Hassan’s lawyer in Canada, the Court of Appeal misrepresented evidence, misstated facts, relied on discredited evidence, made up non-existent evidence, and engaged in contradictory reasoning and troubling analysis based on unfounded speculation.

France’s Advocate General had asked the Court of Cassation to reject the Court of Appeal decision due to its contradictory reasoning and failure to address important issues raised by the defense. Despite this recommendation and all the exonerating evidence, the Court of Cassation decided to allow the case to go to trial.

Don Bayne remarked that “the Court of Cassation decision is inexplicable – even the French Advocate General agreed that the Court of Appeal decision is defective and should be quashed. The travesty of justice continues despite clear evidence of Hassan’s innocence. This shows how political pressure trumps justice. We call upon Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to put an end to this miscarriage of justice.”

Tim McSorley, National Coordinator of the International Civil Liberties Group (a coalition of 45 Canadian civil society groups) stated, “With so many troubling issues in the French courts regarding Hassan Diab’s case, it is impossible to trust that he will receive a fair trial. What Canadians do have control over, though, is what happens in Canada. That is why we are calling on Prime Minister Trudeau today to state in the strongest possible terms to his French counterparts that the persecution of Hassan Diab must end.”

In this relentless cycle of injustice, it is vital that we exert every ounce of pressure on the Canadian government and demand that it intervene to rescue Dr. Diab from groundless persecution and wrongful conviction. He and his family have suffered long enough!

Please take a minute to sign the Parliamentary petition below:

Also please send a letter to PM Justin Trudeau by visiting:

Help Us Spread the Word on Social Media

Let’s raise our collective voices for justice and prevent Hassan Diab’s wrongful conviction. We encourage you to highlight on social media Hassan’s struggle by posting the following messages or writing your own.

Recent Articles

Thank you for your continued support!

Sign the Petition and Send a Message to PM Trudeau — Canada Must End Hassan Diab’s nightmare

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For over 12 years, Hassan Diab fought false allegations of his involvement in a crime he did not commit. It is time to put an end to this miscarriage of justice.

The Canadian government must intervene to rescue Dr. Diab from groundless persecution. He and his family have suffered long enough!

Please sign the Parliamentary petition calling upon the PM Justin Trudeau to give immediate assurances to Hassan Diab that Canada will not accept nor accede to a second request for his extradition, and will urge France to put an immediate end to this miscarriage of justice:

https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-3400

Also, please send a letter to PM Justin Trudeau, by visiting:

https://iclmg.ca/diab-letter (English)
https://iclmg.ca/fr/lettre-diab (French)

Video of Press Conference on May 12, 2021

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At the press conference, speakers commented on the latest developments in Dr. Hassan Diab’s case and commented on the January 27, 2021, French Court of Appeal decision referring Hassan to trial. Speakers were:

  • Don Bayne, Hassan’s Canadian lawyer
  • Roger Clark, member of the Hassan Diab Support Committee
  • Ihsaan Gardee, Director of Programs and Communications, Amnesty International Canada
  • Tim McSorley (National Coordinator, International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG)

In its decision, the Court of Appeal misrepresented evidence, misstated facts, relied on discredited evidence, made up non-existent evidence, and engaged in contradictory reasoning and troubling analysis based on unfounded speculation. Hassan’s lawyers in France have appealed to the Court of Cassation, the highest court in France. The hearing took place on May 12.

On May 19, the Court of Cassation will render its decision on whether to refer Hassan to trial, or have a new Court of Appeal look into his case.