In April 2023, Dr. Hassan Diab will face an unfair trial in France for a crime he did not commit. This is despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence. All the so-called “evidence” that was presented by France to justify Hassan Diab’s extradition in 2014 has been withdrawn, discredited, or rejected. France has offered NO new evidence against Hassan. On the contrary, the alibi evidence, proving that Hassan was not in France at the time of the 1980 Paris bombing, has proven unshakable.
Prime Minister Justin 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.”
It is essential that we do everything possible to ensure that there will be no further miscarriage of justice. The Canadian Government MUST protect Hassan and make it clear that a second request for Hassan Diab’s extradition to France will not be accepted.
We are marking the 8th anniversary of Hassan’s extradition with a series of public actions. These will include a rally at the Human Rights Monument in Ottawa on Sunday, November 13, a press conference on November 14, a petition to be delivered to PM Trudeau, a series of op-eds, and renewed lobbying activities.
Please join us in this effort!
1. Join the Rally in Ottawa (November 13)
Please join the rally in Ottawa on Sunday November 13, at 1:00 pm ET, demanding that the Canadian Government protect Hassan Diab from further injustice, stop the relentless persecution he is facing, and refuse any future request for Hassan’s extradition.
- What: Rally Demanding that the Canadian Government Protect Hassan Diab from Further Injustice
- When: Sunday November 13, 2022, at 1:00 pm ET
- Where: At the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights monument, 220 Elgin St, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Matthew Behrens (Social justice advocate; coordinator of the “Homes not Bombs” non-violent direct action network) will be MC.
Speakers will include:
- Rev. Eric Meter (First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa)
- Eric Schiller (Retired Professor from the University of Ottawa, human rights advocate, and member of the Quakers in Ottawa)
- Susan Spronk (Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) Board Member, Associate Professor in the School of International Development and Global Studies at Ottawa University)
- Michelle Weinroth (Independent Jewish Voices Canada, Writer)
- Students from Professor Deborah Conners’ class, Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University
Also, statements will be read from:
- Don Davies (NDP Member of Parliament for Vancouver Kingsway since 2008)
- Diana Ralph (Member and learning coordinator of Or Haneshamah Synagogue and co-cofounder of Independent Jewish Voices)
The Ottawa Raging Grannies will sing a song.
2. Attend the Press Conference on Zoom (November 14)
Join our press conference on Hassan’s situation and the urgent need for the Canadian government to protect Hassan from any future request for his extradition to France.
- What: Press Conference on Hassan Diab
- When: Monday November 14, 2022, at 10:00 am ET (Note new time)
- Where: Online (Zoom)
The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) will carry a livestream of the press conference on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/iclmg.csilc
Speakers include:
- Don Bayne (Hassan Diab’s Canadian lawyer)
- Roger Clark (Former Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada,1988-1999, and member of the Hassan Diab Support Committee)
- Rob Currie (Professor of Law at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University)
- Tim McSorley (National Coordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group)
- Alex Neve (Former Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, 2000-2020, and Senior Fellow at the University of Ottawa, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs)
- Jo Wood (Member of the Hassan Diab Support Committee)
3. Sign the Petition Addressed to PM Trudeau
Please sign the petition urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to protect Hassan Diab from further injustice, and say NO to a potential second extradition to France for a crime he did not commit.
If you haven’t done so already, please sign the petition so we can reach 20,000 signatures as soon as possible.
If you have already signed, a BIG THANK YOU. Hassan and his family are deeply grateful for your support!
Please share the petition widely among your family, friends, and networks, and on social media.
4. Send an Email to PM Trudeau Using ICLMG’s One-Click Tool
5. Write an Op-Ed
Write an op-ed highlighting the injustice Hassan is facing, drawing on material from the above petition, letter to PM Trudeau, and this info sheet.
Many thanks for your support!
