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Dr. Hassan Diab is being held in a jail in France for a crime he did not commit. Diab’s finger prints, palm prints, physical description, and handwriting do not match those of the suspect. Furthermore, French investigating judges have confirmed that he was not even in France at the time of the bombing. Diab has consistently denied involvement and condemned the violence.
Ottawa (19 June 2017) — The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is encouraging people to call the Prime Minister to urge him and his government to take immediate steps to secure the return of Dr. Hassan Diab to Canada. (Information on making the callise below.)
Travesty of justice
Dr. Diab, an Ottawa University professor and father of two young Canadian children, has been jailed for over two and a half years in France as a result of a controversial and legally questionable extradition process launched by the previous Conservative federal government.
The details in Diab’s case are strange to say the least. He was sought by the French government for his alleged involvement in an October 1980 bombing that killed 4 people. However, Diab’s finger prints, palm prints, physical description, and handwriting do not match those of the suspect. Furthermore, French investigating judges have confirmed that he was not even in France at the time of the bombing. Diab has consistently denied involvement and condemned the violence.
The weak case is reflected in the fact that Diab has been ordered released on bail six times over the past year by investigating judges in charge of his case. However, on each occasion the Court of Appeal overturned the release orders at the prosecutor’s behest. French lawyers have called this situation unprecedented, a political manoeuvre to look tough on terror even though a vast body of evidence shows Dr. Diab did not commit the crime.
Canada needs to act
The unprecedented denial of Diab’s right to a small measure of liberty while awaiting the ultimate outcome of his case would rightly be condemned had it occurred in Egypt or Iraq or China, yet the Canadian government has been silent in the face of this injustice. It’s the latest setback in a long-running saga that starts with a case that the Canadian extradition judge called “weak,” “convoluted,” and “confusing,” adding “the prospects of conviction in the context of a fair trial seem unlikely”.
Dr. Diab’s lawyer, Donald Bayne, one of this nation’s most respected litigators, calls this “the classic recipe for the wrongful conviction of a Canadian citizen.”
This case glaringly calls out for the intervention of the Canadian Government. Dr. Diab’s Kafkaesque predicament stems from the actions of the previous government. However, the current federal government has the power to ultimately mitigate and bring about an end to the harm and suffering that Diab and his family continue to experience on a daily basis.
Call the Prime Minister
As many calls as possible to the Prime Minister, from different parts of the country on the same day, are needed to amplify the message.
Mr. Justin Trudeau
House of Commons
Phone: 1 (613) 992-4211
Fax: 1 (613) 941-6900
Constituency Office
Phone: 1 (514) 277-6020
Template Message:
“Hello. My name is ______________. I am a supporter of Justice for Dr. Hassan Diab and I am calling to ask why the Canadian government and Prime Minister Trudeau have not intervened to secure Hassan Diab’s release. Hassan has been in prison for almost 3 years, despite the fact that there is consistent evidence that he is innocent. Three different French judges have ordered his release 6 times, yet he remains in prison in France. This is a violation of Hassan’s rights, and we insist that the Prime Minister intervene with the new French government and ask for Hassan Diab’s immediate return to Canada. To do less dishonors Canada and Canadians.
I look forward to your response. You can call me personally at ______________”.
More information:
Justice for Hassan Diab http://www.justiceforhassandiab.org/