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:
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!