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Over the years, Canadian Friends Service Committee has closely followed Hassan Diab’s case, and is dismayed over the recent news that the Special Assize Court in France is seeking a secondary extradition after declaring him guilty, despite exculpatory evidence. In 2018, Hassan Diab was released from prison after the case was dismissed due to “consistent evidence of innocence.”
Diab, a Canadian citizen, has already faced an intensive legal process, and the possibility of a second extradition raises substantial human rights and justice concerns. He was previously extradited from Canada in 2014 and agonizingly served more than three years of solitary confinement in a French prison while being investigated by French authorities over a bombing that took place in 1980.
Friends Colin Stuart, Fran Schiller, and Eric Schiller outside Ottawa courthouse following Hassan Diab hearing, June 2011
In 2018, Prime Minister Trudeau said “what happened to [Hassan Diab] never should have happened…we’ve asked for an independent external review to look into exactly how this happened and make sure that it never happens again.” CFSC calls on the Canadian government to follow through and guarantee for Hassan Diab that this will never happen again.
The recent trial utilised secret intelligence, which is unconstitutional in Canada. No new evidence was presented, and no official recordings or transcripts exist of the proceedings. The continued secrecy and lack of transparency indicate several concerning uncertainties surrounding Diab’s case.
CFSC calls on the Canadian government to not accede or accept a second request for his extradition. Diab, a Canadian citizen, should live a peaceful life with his family, friends, and community. CFSC also calls on the Canadian government to follow through with recommendations on reforming Canada’s Extradition Act, thereby ensuring the human rights and welfare of Canadian citizens are upheld.
Download this open letter in PDF. Learn more about CFSC’s concern for civil liberties.
