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"The Canadian government has a responsibility to take action to right this wrong." — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
Ottawa (25 May 2021) — The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is troubled by the ongoing injustice against Dr. Hassan Diab, an Ottawa-based academic charged for a crime he did not commit.
Last week, France’s Court of Cassation ordered Diab to stand trial, rejecting his appeal. In a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau, NUPGE President Larry Brown is urging the Canadian government to act.
Miscarriage of justice
The charges against Diab, which allege his involvement in the bombing of a Paris synagogue in 1980, were finally dismissed in 2018 due to insufficient evidence. Unfortunately, this came after years of injustice and harm caused to Diab and his family that included his extradition to France, and 3 years spent in a French prison.
Earlier this year, a French court of appeal issued a decision to proceed with a trial against Diab. Last week, the Court of Cassation upheld that decision (CBC News).
For years, NUPGE has been following Diab’s case and calling on the Canadian government to act. Once again, NUPGE joins the countless voices in Canada and around the world calling for justice.
“This ordeal must end,” wrote Brown. “Furthermore, this is not the way to bring justice to the victims and survivors of the bombing.”
Speaking out against lack of evidence
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Brown echoed a letter he wrote to Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau following the Court of Appeal’s January 27 decision to proceed with a trial. Brown urged the Canadian government “to raise this matter with your French counterparts and to communicate the view that the proper course of action is for the French authorities to drop these unfounded charges against Diab and to not continue with the prosecution.”
France’s Advocate General had asked that the Court of Cassation reject the lower court’s decision because of its contradictory reasoning and failure to address key issues raised by the defense.
“Despite this recommendation,” wrote Brown to the Prime Minister, “and the fact that the evidence against Diab has been discredited, the Court of Cassation has allowed the case to proceed to trial.”
Canada has a responsibility
“The Canadian government has a responsibility to take action to right this wrong,” continued Brown.
Brown pointed to the Prime Minister’s statement from 2018, in which he said that what happened to Diab “never should have happened” and stated the government’s aim to “make sure that it never happens again.”
Now is the time to deliver. “I urge your government to take action to follow through on this commitment,” wrote Brown.
How can you take action?
Individuals who are concerned about this situation can send a message to the Prime Minister, key cabinet ministers, and their MP by using this tool from the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group: https://iclmg.ca/diab-letter/.
They can also stay informed through updates and calls to action from the Hassan Diab Support Committee’s website: https://www.justiceforhassandiab.org/.
Read the letter from NUPGE President Larry Brown to the Prime Minister here.