Legal experts call on Canada to unequivocally support and cooperate with International Criminal Court

Canadian Friends Service Committee’s General Secretary Jennifer Preston signed the following open letter sent today to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 

Dear Prime Minister,

We write this Open Letter to you as Canadian law professors, lawyers, legal scholars, academics, civil society, faith and labour movement leaders, and former diplomats and parliamentarians representing an extensive breadth of experience relevant to the imperative of upholding the rule of law, international human rights and justice, including through the International Criminal Court (ICC).

We write in particular to urge your government to issue a public statement unequivocally affirming the prosecutorial and judicial independence of the Court as the investigations and proceedings advance in the situation in Palestine. In line with its unambiguous obligations of cooperation as a member-state of the ICC, this should include a clear statement that any arrest warrants issued by the Court against leaders of the Israeli government and senior Hamas officials will be enforced should any suspects arrive on Canadian territory.

Canada has a demonstrated reputation and record as a leader with respect to international criminal justice and the role of the ICC in upholding universal human rights and preventing mass atrocities. The Canadian government played a central role in the establishment of the ICC and made it clear that the Court would be focused on the accountability of individuals for their decisions and actions, regardless of their governmental or organizational affiliation. The first President of the ICC was a former Legal Adviser to Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. The fourth President, who served from 2018 to 2021, is also a Canadian. A Canadian is in fact currently serving as a judge at the Court. From 2013-2021, the ICC Deputy Prosecutor was a Canadian.

Given that reputation and record, a strong statement of support from Canada will have a notable positive impact internationally. The absence of such a statement will, conversely, have a detrimental impact and undermine key principles of international justice that Canada has long championed. We note as well the March 18, 2024 House of Commons motion calling on your government to support the work of the ICC, a motion almost all members of your government, including you personally, supported.

Strong support is vital at this time given that the Prosecutor, ICC staff and the ICC as an institution are facing considerable political pressure, unfounded and inflammatory criticism, attacks on the Court’s independence, and even threats of personal sanctions against court judges and officials, all in relation to this case. This is clearly no time for champions of international justice to waver or to be ambiguous. That is why Canada’s position must be one of resolute and meaningful support.

The controversy intensified following the announcement on May 20th by the ICC’s Prosecutor, Karim Khan, that he has applied to the Court for five arrest warrants. Two of the warrants are against senior Israeli leaders, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant. Three of the warrants are against senior Hamas leaders, the Head of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, The Commander-in-Chief of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, and the Head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh.¹

View of the International Criminal Court Headquarters in the Netherlands. Credit Hypergio, CC BY-SA 4.0

Given widespread expert opinion that both Israel’s and Hamas’ actions, in Gaza and Israel, have constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity, applications for arrest warrants were expected and anticipated for weeks.²

While many of Canada’s allies, including Ireland, France, Norway, Spain, and Germany, have expressed clear support for the Court in this matter, others reacted with sharp rebukes and threats, in particular the Israeli and US governments. In that regard, we welcome statements made last week by you, Deputy Prime Minister Freeland and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joly, reiterating that your government respects the ICC.

We are, however, deeply concerned by accompanying comments that undermine this sense of respect, whereby each of you has criticized the Court’s Prosecutor for requesting arrest warrants against both Israeli and Hamas officials because the two should not be seen as “equivalent”. Those comments leave the impression that your government is opposed to the Prosecutor’s decision to press charges against Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Gallant because they should not be held to account in the same way or to the same standards that Hamas officials should. The implication of this for victims and survivors is that some are deserving of justice while others are not.

Prime Minister, we urge you to reiterate Canada’s unconditional support for the ICC as an independent judicial institution, and for the exercise by the Office of the Prosecutor of prosecutorial discretion without discrimination. All victims and survivors are equally deserving of accountability, irrespective of where they reside, their religious faith, their ethnic or racial heritage, or their nationality or citizenship.

The ICC Prosecutor’s office does not and cannot engage in a weighing of equivalency; it does not judge whether certain alleged perpetrators of international crimes are better or worse than others depending on their political standing. Investigators and prosecutors at the Court simply and rightly follow the evidence before them and apply the law impartially to ascertain whether specific individuals bear criminal responsibility for international crimes.

The Prosecutor has concluded that the evidence establishes reasonable grounds to believe these two Israeli and three Hamas officials have committed crimes under international law, in particular extensive war crimes and crimes against humanity. The factual and legal nature of the crimes of which they stand accused varies widely. If they are eventually tried, they will face separate legal proceedings where they will enjoy the presumption of innocence. There is but one essential element that they do have in common. After extensive independent and impartial investigations, their actions and decisions have been held up by the ICC Prosecutor to universally binding international legal standards and have been found wanting. That even-handed application of the law should be welcomed and supported, without hesitation, as that is the very essence of international justice.

From the outset, the international human rights system, to which international justice is integrally tied, has been premised on the foundational promise of universality. Adopted in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in article one, makes that abundantly clear: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. That is what is at stake here. The rights – and lives – of Palestinians and of Israelis are equal, and their equality must be respected and upheld under the law. In that same spirit, international justice promises that all perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses, particularly those of the gravest nature constituting crimes under international law, shall be judged and held accountable equally.

To assert that there is something objectionable about holding Israeli officials to the same standards of international criminal justice as Hamas officials is to promote a double standard and to suggest that the rights of Palestinians matter less than those of Israelis. That is a racist, dehumanizing and discriminatory approach to international justice which Canada cannot countenance in any way.

The principles of equal treatment and access to justice in the field of international criminal justice do not, by any measure, amount to an equivalence of the nature you have decried. No country, no armed group, no corporation and no individual can be allowed to stand above or apart from the law. Nothing undermines justice more – at a national or international level – than double standards and exceptionalism. This commitment must be at the core of Canada’s ICC position and foreign policy.

We urge you, therefore, to issue a clear statement of support for the work of the ICC with respect to the situation in Palestine, which includes the following key elements:

• Canada fully respects the ICC, unequivocally embraces the Court’s independence, and unconditionally supports the work of the Court in this matter, including investigations of alleged crimes committed by both Israeli and Hamas officials.
• Canada will fully cooperate with the ICC in the Palestine situation, in keeping with Canada’s obligations under the Rome Statute,³; including providing any assistance requested with respect to evidence and witnesses, and executing arrest warrants if any individuals sought by the Court come within Canadian jurisdiction.
• Canada condemns any threats made against ICC personnel in connection with this situation, or any situations or cases pursued by the Court, and specifically calls on all actors, both at home and abroad, to refrain from imposing or threatening to impose any sanctions or taking any other retaliatory measures against judges and court staff.
• Canada resolutely agrees that universality is a cardinal principle of international justice. No one should be excluded from accountability for crimes under international law, regardless of their nationality, political status, power and influence, or whether they serve in a democratic, autocratic or dictatorial government, or are part of an armed group.
• Canada calls on all governments, particularly those of ICC member states, to make similar expressions of unwavering support for and commitment to cooperate fully with the ICC, in relation to this and all matters under investigation or before the court.

We look forward to hearing further from you, Prime Minister, by means of a strong public statement about this matter, in line with these recommendations.

1. The arrest warrants have been sought further to an investigation launched by the Prosecutor in March 2021, after a Pre-Trial Chamber of the Court ruled that there was jurisdiction to pursue the case on the basis of the State of Palestine’s accession to the ICC’s Rome Statute. That jurisdiction extends to crimes committed within the State of Palestine, including by members of the Israeli government and military, which includes Prime Minister Netanyahu, and to crimes committed by nationals of the State of Palestine, including within Israel. The investigation opened in 2021 continued after Hamas’ attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and has examined alleged crimes associated with that attack and with Israel’s subsequent military operations in Gaza. While Canada has been a persistent objector to Palestine’s status as a State Party to the ICC, the Court ruled on 5 February, 2021 that for the purposes of the initiation of an investigation by the Prosecutor the Court had territorial jurisdiction over the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, without prejudice to border disputes under international law or the question of any future borders.

2. In a separate case, brought by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and involving questions of state responsibility rather than individual criminal responsibility, the ICJ, in its Orders of 26 January, 28 March and 24 May, 2024, has not ruled out that Israel’s actions may fall within the scope of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.

3. Rome Statute, Article 86, General obligation to cooperate: States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Statute, cooperate fully with the Court in its investigation and prosecution of crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court

Sincerely,
Idil Abdillahi, Assistant Professor, School of Disability Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University
Nahla Abdo, Chancellor’s Professor, Department of Sociology/Anthropology. Carleton University
Thabit AJ Abdullah, Professor, Department of History, York University
Yasmeen Abu-Laban, Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Politics of Citizenship and Human Rights, Department of Political Science, University of Alberta
Nadia Abu-Zahra, Professor, School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa
Louigi Addario-Berry, Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics & Canada Research Chair in Discrete Probability, McGill University
Dr. Laurie Adkin, Political Science Department, University of Alberta (retired)
Melanie Adrian, Ph.D., O.Ont., Associate Professor, Department of Law and Legal Studies, Carleton University
Tari Ajadi, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, McGill University
Rabiat Akande, Assistant Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Greg Albo, Associate Professor, Department of Politics, York University
Dina Al-Kassim, Associate Professor, Department of English Literatures and Language Associate & Institute for Social Justice Associate, Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, University of British Columbia
Dr. Cynthia J. Alexander, Professor, Department of Politics, Acadia University
Kristi A. Allain, Canada Research Chair, Physical Culture and Social Life, and Professor of Sociology, St. Thomas University
Jon Allen, Former Canadian Ambassador to Israel and Spain
Dr. Kjell Anderson, Director, Master of Human Rights and Assistant Professor of Law, University of Manitoba
Dr Bilal Ansari, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Rachad Antonius, Retired Full Professor of Sociology, Université du Québec à Montréal
Michael Arfken, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Prince Edward Island
Hulya Arik, Assistant Professor, Department of Human Geography, University of Toronto Scarborough
Florence Ashley, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta
The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, Former Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Chris Aylward, National President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada
Muhannad Ayyash, Professor of Sociology, Mount Royal University
Sofiane Baba, Professeur agrégé, École de Gestion, Université de Sherbrooke
Rémi Bachand, Professeur de droit international, Département des sciences juridiques, Université du Québec à Montréal
Khalid Baksh, Barrister and Solicitor, Windsor
Neil Balan, Atlantic Canada Studies, Saint Mary’s University
Corey Balsam, National Coordinator, Independent Jewish Voices Canada
Nigel Bankes, FRSC, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Calgary
Nicole Barrett, Director, International Justice & Human Rights Clinic and Associate Professor of Teaching, Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia
Ahmed M. Bayoumi, MD MSc FRCPC FCAHS, Baxter & Alma Ricard Chair in Inner City Health, General Internal Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Professor, Department of Medicine; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation; and Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto
Imaan Bayoumi, Assistant Professor, Family Medicine, Queen’s University
Sarah Beamish, Human rights lawyer, Toronto
Colleen Bell, PhD, Associate Professor and Graduate Chair, Department of Political Studies, University of Saskatchewan
Dre Marie-Michelle Bellon, MD, FRCPC, spécialiste en médecine interne, Montréal
Ibrahim Bengizi, Barrister and Solicitor, Niagara
Jody Berland, Professor Emerita, Department of Humanities, Graduate Program in Social and Political Thought, York University
Rachel Berman, Professor, School of Early Childhood Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University
Nicole Bernhardt, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto Scarborough
Faisal Bhabha, Associate Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Brenna Bhandar, Associate Professor, Allard Law Faculty, University of British Columbia
Anne-Emanuelle Birn, MA, ScD, Professor, Global Development Studies, University of Toronto
David Black, Lester B. Pearson Professor of International Development Studies, Department of Political Science, Dalhousie University
Danielle Bobker, Professor of English, Fellow, Simone de Beauvoir Institute & Women’s Studies, Concordia University
Andrea Breen, Associate Professor, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph
Bruce Broomhall, professeur, Département des sciences juridiques, Université du Québec à Montréal
Carissa Brown, Professor, Department of Geography, Memorial University
Stephen Brown, Executive Director, National Council of Canadian Muslims
Elyse Bruce, Lawyer
Alexandra Bugailiskis, Former Canadian Ambassador to Syria and Assistant Deputy Minister for Europe and the Middle East at Global Affairs Canada
Roberta Buiani, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto
Doris Buss, Professor of Law and Legal Studies, Carleton University
Amila Buturović, Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University
John Carlson, Assistant Professor, Department of Criminology, University of Ottawa
Irina Ceric, Assistant Professor, University of Windsor Faculty of Law
Paul Champ, Human rights lawyer, Ottawa
Gulzar R. Charania, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa
Julie Chateauvert, Professeure adjointe, École d’innovation sociale Elisabeth Bruyère, Université Saint-Paul
Miloud Chennoufi, Associate Professor, Department of Defence Studies, Royal Military College of Canada
Christina Clark-Kazak, Professor, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa
Elaine Coburn, Associate Professor, International Studies, York University
Veldon Coburn, Associate Professor & Faculty Chair – Indigenous Relations Initiative, McGill University
Nicholas Coghlan, Canadian Ambassador (Ret.)
Randall K. Cohn, Barrister and Solicitor, Vancouver
Rosemary Collard, Associate Professor, Geography, Simon Fraser University
Jean-Pierre Couture, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa
François Crépeau, Professor of Public International Law, Faculty of Law, McGill University
Professor Robert J. Currie, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University
Sarah Danial, B.Sc., M.D., FRCPC, J.D., Niagara Falls
Martin Danyluk, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University
Gail Davidson, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada Director, Vancouver
Mary Ellen Davis, part-time faculty, School of Cinema, Concordia University
Shelagh Day CM, Human rights advocate
Joseph G Debanné, Phd, P.Eng, Retired Chair of the Middle East Study Group (MEDG), Ottawa
Me Johnathan Denis, Avocat – conseiller syndical, Montreal
Dr Nathan Derejko, Mauro Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice and Assistant Professor of Law, Robson Hall Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba
Ranjit Dhaliwal, Barrister and Solicitor, Toronto
Emraan Dharsi, Barrister and Solicitor, Richmond Hill
Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo CM
Dr. Amanda DiPaolo, Professor, Human Rights Department, St. Thomas University
Lydia Dobson, Adjunct Professor, Institute of Criminology, Carleton University & Part-time Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa
Katie Douglas, Lawyer, Toronto
Sarah Dowling, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto
Ena Dua, Professor, School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, York University
Karen Dubinsky, Professor, Global Development Studies/History, Queen’s University
Maureen Duffy, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Calgary
Todd Dufresne, Professor of Philosophy, Lakehead University
Dallas Duncan, MD FRCPC, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Dr. Caroline Dunton, Skelton-Clark Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Political Science, Queen’s University
Francis Dupuis-Déri, Professor of political science, Université du Québec à Montréal
Barry Eidlin, Associate Professor of Sociology, McGill University
Jennifer Ekin, Barrister and Solicitor, Toronto
Jouman El-Asmar, Avocate – Attorney at Law, Barreau du Québec; Barrister & Solicitor, Law Society of Alberta, Edmonton
Mohamed El Rashidy, Barrister and Solicitor, Mississauga
Rachel Engler-Stringer, Professor, Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan
Mohammad Fadel, Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
Randa Farah, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Western University
Omar Farahat, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, McGill University
Leilani Farha, Human rights lawyer and Former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing
Paul Fauteux, lawyer and accredited mediator and arbitrator, recipient of the Diploma of The Hague Academy of International Law and former Canadian diplomat
Dr. Angie Fazekas, Assistant Professor, Women and Gender Studies Institute, University of Toronto
Rhonda Ferguson, Former Adjunct Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
John Foster, Former economist, World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, Kingston
John W. Foster, Sessional Lecturer, Justice Studies, University of Regina
Robert Fox, Retired civil society leader, Ottawa
Evan Fox-Decent, Full Professor, Canada Research Chair in Cosmopolitan Law and Justice, Faculty of Law, McGill University
Michael Frishkopf, Professor, Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta
Philippe M. Frowd, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa
Richard Fung, Professor Emeritus, OCAD University
Melissa Funke, Assistant Professor, Department of Classics, University of Winnipeg
Monika Kin Gagnon, Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Concordia University
Michelle Gallant, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba
Martin Gallié, Professeur, département des sciences juridiques, Université du Québec à Montréal
Samir Gandesha, Professor, Department of Humanities, Simon Fraser University
Yipeng Ge, MD MPH CCFP, Primary care doctor and public health professional
Sarah Ghabrial, Associate Professor, History, Concordia University
Amanda Ghahremani, International criminal lawyer and Research Fellow at the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley
Sara Ghebremusse, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Western University
Emily Gilbert, Professor, Canadian Studies and the Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto
Dr. James Gilbert-Walsh, Associate Professor of Philosophy, St Thomas University
Rajvir Gill, Human rights lawyer, Ottawa
Lauren Gillingham, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa
Jacqui Gingras, PhD, Professor, Sociology, Toronto Metropolitan University
Luin Goldring, Professor, Department of Sociology, York University
Rev. Dr. J. Dorcas Gordon, Principal Emerita, Knox College, University of Toronto
Malini Guha, Associate Professor of Film Studies, Carleton University
Priya Gupta, Association of McGill Professors of Law (currently on strike)
Ratiba Hadj-Moussa, Professor, Department of Sociology, York University
Blayne Haggart, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Brock University
David Halton, Former Foreign Correspondent
Mark Hancock, National President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees
Lia Harris, MD, FRCPC, Clinical Assistant Professor of Paediatrics, University of British Columbia School of Medicine
Sanaa Hasan, Barrister and Solicitor, Mississauga
James C. Hathaway, FRSC, Degan Professor Emeritus of Law, University of Michigan
Matthew Hawkins, Associate Professor (teaching), Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University
Matthew Hayes, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global and Transnational Studies, St. Thomas University
Jennifer Henderson, Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, Carleton University
Salvador Herencia-Carrasco, Section de Droit Civil, University of Ottawa
Steven High, Professor of History, Concordia University
Joseph Hill, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Alberta
Kirsten M. Hummel, PhD, Professeure titulaire, Faculté des lettres et des sciences humaines, Université Laval
Rachel Hurst, Professor, Women’s and Gender Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Fatima Husain, Barrister and Solicitor, Toronto
Dr. Fauzia Husain, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Queen’s University
Viqar Husain, Professor, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, University of New Brunswick
Zaineb Hussein, Barrister and Solicitor, Edmonton
Brian Iler, Lawyer and counsel, Iler Campbell LLP, Toronto
Shin Imai, Professor Emeritus, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Talbot Imlay, Professeur titulaire, Département des sciences historiques, Université Laval
Syed Imran Ali, PhD, Fellow, Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University
Dr. Ardi Imseis, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen’s University; Member UN Group of Experts on Yemen (2019-2021); and Legal Counsel, UNRWA (2002-2014)
Peter Ives, Professor, Political Science Department, University of Winnipeg
Barbara Jackman CM, Human rights lawyer, Toronto
Nora Jaffary, Professor of History, Concordia University
Kajri Jain, Professor, Art History and Visual Studies, University of Toronto
Cesar Jaramillo, Executive Director, Project Ploughshares
David Jefferess, Associate Professor of Cultural Studies, UBC Okanagan
Yasmin Jiwani, Professor, Communication Studies, Concordia University
Susan Johnson, Permanent Observer to the United Nations for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (retired)
Rev. Susan C. Johnson, National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Nigel Joseph Ph.D., Assistant Professor (Limited Duties), Department. of English and Writing Studies, Western University
David Juncker, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, McGill University.
Jasminka Kalajdzic, Professor of Law, University of Windsor
Nathan Kalman-Lamb, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of New Brunswick
Dr. Charis Kamphuis, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Thompson Rivers University
Azeezah Kanji, Legal Academic, Toronto
Ryan M. Katz-Rosene, Associate Professor, School of Political Studies, University of Ottawa
Dr. Tarek Kazem, MD FRCPC CCFP(PC), Assistant Clinical Professor, McMaster University & Lecturer, University of Toronto
Ali Kazimi, Professor, Cinema and Media Arts, York University
Lisa M. Kelly, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen’s University
Mark Kersten, Assistant Professor, University of the Fraser Valley
Smaro Kamboureli, Professor, Department of English, University of Toronto
Muhammad Kamran Khan, Barrister and Solicitor, Hamilton
Ilan Kapoor, Professor, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University
Lara Karaian, Associate Professor, Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Carleton University
Charlotte M. Karam, Professor, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa
Elias B. Khalil, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto
Ummni Khan, Associate Professor, Law and Legal Studies, Carleton University
Rachel Kiddell-Monroe LL.M., SeeChange Initiative and McGill University
Alyssa King, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen’s University
Asad G Kiyani, Associate Professor of Law, University of Victoria
Richard Kohler, Canadian Ambassador (Ret.)
Faisal Kutty, Human rights lawyer; affiliate faculty member at the Rutgers University Center for Security, Race and Rights
Fannie Lafontaine, Full Professor, Université Laval, Canada Research Chair on International Criminal Justice and Human Rights
Nicolas Lamp, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen’s University
France-Isabelle Langlois, Directrice générale, Amnistie internationale Canada francophone
Vladyslav Lanovoy, Professeur adjoint, Faculté de droit, École supérieure d’études internationales (ÉSÉI), Université Laval
The Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, Moderator of The United Church of Canada
Peter Larson, Ph.D., Chair, Ottawa Forum on Israel Palestine
Hina Latif, Barrister and Solicitor, Toronto
Dr. Jason Laurendeau, Associate Professor (Sociology), University of Lethbridge
Sonia Lawrence, Associate Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Professor Yves Le Bouthillier, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa
Avi Lewis, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia
Carol Liao, Associate Professor, Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia
Professor Jamie Chai Yun Liew, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa
James Lockyer CM, Human rights lawyer, Toronto
Susan Lord, PhD, Professor, Department of Film and Media, Queen’s University
Anthony Lorrain, Lawyer, CertIntlHRL, Montreal
Professor Emeritus Michael Lynk, Faculty of Law, Western University; and Former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967
Me Ngoc Phuong Catherine Mac, Avocate – conseillère syndicale, Montreal
E. MacDonald, Associate Professor, Department of Political Studies, Queen’s University
Nimâ Machouf, Épidémiologiste ,Clinique du Quartier Latin, Montréal
Constance MacIntosh, Professor of Law, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University
Cheryl Mack BSc Hons MD MA FRCPC, John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre, University of Alberta
Audrey Macklin, Professor of Law and Chair in Human Rights, University of Toronto
Carolyn A. MacLean, Barrister and Solicitor and Professor of Law, Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
Theresa MacLean, Barrister and Solicitor, Toronto
Dania Majid, President, Arab Canadian Lawyers Association
Asmaa Malik, Associate Professor, School of Journalism, Toronto Metropolitan University
Mudasir Marfatia, Barrister and Solicitor, Mississauga
Camille Marquis Bissonnette, Professeure, Département de droit, Université du Québec en Outaouais
Thomas Marois, Professor of Political Economy, McMaster University
Craig Martin, Professor of Law and Co-Director, International and Comparative Law Center, Washburn University School of Law; Barrister and Solicitor, Law Society of Ontario
James Martin, MD DSc, Professor of Medicine, McGill University
Azad Mashari MD FRCPC Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Peggy Mason, President, Rideau Institute; and Former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations for Disarmament
Marie-Josée Massicotte, Professeure agrégée, École d’études politiques, Université d’Ottawa
Heidi Matthews, Assistant Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Richard Matthews, Associate Professor of Medical Ethics, Bond University
Ingrid Mattson, PhD, Professor of Islamic Studies, London & Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies, Director, Centre for Islamic Theology, Ethics & Spirituality (CITES), Faculty of Theology, Huron University
Rosemary McCarney, Former Ambassador of Canada to the United Nations and the Conference on Disarmament, Senior Fellow, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, James Coutts Visiting Scholar in International Relations, Trinity College, University of Toronto, and Senior Fellow, Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary Canadian History
Liam McHugh-Russell, Assistant Professor, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University
Kent McNeil, Professor Emeritus, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Independent Senator Marilou McPhedran CM
Tim McSorley, National Coordinator, International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
Naiomi Metallic, Associate Professor and Chancellor’s Chair in Aboriginal Law and Policy, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University
Urooj Mian LLM, CEO, SHE Associates
Liam Midzain-Gobin, PhD, Assistant Professor, Brock University
Heather Milne, Professor, Department of English, University of Winnipeg
Sharmistha Mishra, MD, MSc, PhD, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Rabbi David Mivasair, Member, Independent Jewish Voices Canada
Nalini Mohabir, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University
Hodan A. Mohamed, UN Human Rights Fellow; Founder, Arawelo Institute for Leadership and Public Policy; Co-Founder, Canadian Association of Muslim Women in Law
Alawi Mohideen, Barrister and Solicitor, Toronto
Jeffrey Monaghan, Associate Professor. Criminology, Carleton University
Radhika Mongia, Associate Professor, Sociology, York University
Catherine Morris, Independent Legal Scholar, (Past) Executive Director, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, Victoria
Patricia Morris, RN PhD, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of New Brunswick
Nada Moumtaz, Associate Professor in the Study of Religion and Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto
Dr. Keshav Mukunda, Research Data Librarian, Simon Fraser University
Nick J. Mulé, PhD, Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University
Beverley Mullings, Professor, Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto
Brian Murphy, Former Senior Policy Advisor, Inter Pares (retired)
Dr Shannonbrooke Murphy, Endowed Chair in Human Rights and Assistant Professor, Human Rights Department, St. Thomas University
Shaun Narine, Professor of International Relations, St. Thomas University
Leila Nasr, Lawyer
Jennifer Nedelsky, Professor of Law, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Sheryl Nestel, PhD, Affiliated Scholar, New College, University of Toronto
Alex Neve OC, Senior Fellow, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa; and Adjunct Professor of International Human Rights Law, University of Ottawa and Dalhousie University
Kim Hong Nguyen, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Arts, University of Waterloo
Vinh Nguyen, Associate Professor, East Asian Studies, English Language and Literature, University of Waterloo
The Most Rev. Linda Nicholls, Primate, Anglican Church of Canada/L’Église anglicane du Canada
Michael Nijhawan, Associate Professor, Sociology, York University
Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada (English Speaking)
Ambassador (ret.) Sabine Nölke, LL.B., LL.M., LL.D. (hc), Ottawa
Ken Norman, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Saskatchewan
John K. Noyes, Professor of German, University of Toronto
Dr. Ubaka Ogbogu, Professor and Associate Dean Research, Katz Group Chair in Health Law, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta
Professor Obiora Okafor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Denise Oleksijczuk, Associate Professor, School for the Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University
Vanessa Oliver, Associate Professor, Youth and Children’s Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University
James Orbinski OC, MSC, MA, MD, Professor, School of Global Health, York University & Professor (Adjunct), Clinical Public Health, University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health
John Packer, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, and Director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre, University of Ottawa
Dr Pamela Palmater, Chair in Indigenous Governance, Toronto Metropolitan University
Roxanne Panchasi, Associate Professor, Department of History, Simon Fraser University
Maya Papineau, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Carleton University
Gar Pardy, Former Ambassador, Ottawa
Dr. Pooja Parmar, Associate Professor, President’s Chair in Law and Indigeneity in a Global Context, Faculty of Law, University of Victoria
Laila Parsons, Professor of Modern Middle East History, McGill University
The Honourable Kim Pate CM, Independent Senator for Ontario and Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Ottawa
Martha Paynter, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of New Brunswick
Léa Pelletier-Marcotte, Human rights lawyer, Montreal
Adele Perry, FRSC, Professor, History and Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Manitoba
Karen Pearlston, Professor of Law (ret.), University of New Brunswick
Ana Maria Peredo, Canada Research Chair and Professor, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa
Me Thu-Dieu Pham-Luu, Avocate, Montreal
Justin Piché, PhD, Full Professor, Criminology, University of Ottawa
Noah Pleshet, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of New Brunswick
Bruce Porter, Executive Director, Social Rights Advocacy Centre
Jennifer Preston, General Secretary, Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers)
Carolyn Prouse, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Planning, Queen’s University
Tavleen Purewal, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Arts, University of New Brunswick
Joshua Ramisch, Directeur et Professeur Titulaire, École de développement international et mondialisation, Université d’Ottawa
Shama Rangwala, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University
Aditya Rao, Human Rights Lawyer, Ottawa
Derek Rasmussen, Legal researcher and human rights advocate, Toronto
Arif Raza, Barrister & Solicitor, Toronto
Allan Reid, Professor, Department of Culture and Media Studies, University of New Brunswick (retired)
Leah Reesor-Keller, Transitional Executive Director, KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
Kathryn Reinders, Doctoral Student, Social Practice and Transformational Change, University of Guelph
Dr. Genevieve Renard Painter, Associate Professor, Simone de Beauvoir Institute & Womens Studies, Concordia University
Sana Rizvi, Human rights lawyer, Toronto
William Clare Roberts, Associate Professor of Political Science, McGill University
Darryl Robinson, Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen’s University
Former Senator Douglas Roche, O.C.
The Honourable Allan Rock, Former Ambassador of Canada to the United Nations and Minister of Justice and Attorney General
Jillian Rogin, Associate Professor and lawyer, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor
Dr. Aron Lee Rosenberg, Faculty Lecturer, Faculty of Education, McGill University
Dr. Sarah Rotz, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change, York University
James Rowe, Associate Professor, Environmental Studies, University of Victoria
Matthew Rowlinson, Professor, Department of English and Writing Studies, Western University
Dr. Daniel Rück, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Ottawa
Professor Bruce Ryder, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Daniel Sailofsky, PhD, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, University of Toronto
Trish Salah, Associate Professor, Department of Gender Studies, Queen’s University
Sarita Samaroo, Barrister and Solicitor, Toronto
Nicholas Sammond, Professor of Cinema and Media Studies, University of Toronto
Haig E. Sarafian, Retired Canadian Ambassador
Blayne Amir Sayed, MD PhD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Derek Sayer, FRSC, Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology, University of Alberta
William A. Schabas OC, Professor of international law, School of Law, Middlesex University
Michael T. Schmitt, Professor, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University
Craig Scott, Professor of Law, Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, Toronto
Dayna Nadine Scott, York Research Chair in Environmental Law & Justice in the Green Economy, 2018-2023; Associate Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School and the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change, York University
Joshua Sealy-Harrington, Assistant Professor, Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Toronto Metropolitan University
Ryme Seferdjeli, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Ottawa
Danish Shah H.B.A, LL.B. Q.ARB, Co-Founder of Butz and Company
Amer Shalaby, Professor, Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto
Nicola Short, Associate Professor, Department of Politics, York University
Shibil Siddiqi, Human rights lawyer, Toronto
Derek Silva, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, King’s University College at Western University
Penelope Simons, Professor, Faculty of Law, and Gordon F. Henderson Chair in Human Rights, University of Ottawa
John Simoulidis, Associate Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University
Dr. Aarzoo Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Winnipeg
Dr. Anne-Marie Singh, Associate Professor, Department of Criminology, Toronto Metropolitan University
Bill Skidmore, Instructor (Retired), Human Rights and Social Justice, Carleton University
Peter Splinter, Former Representative of Amnesty international to the United Nations in Geneva
Susan Spronk, Associate Professor, School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa
James G. Stewart, Professor, Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia
Dr. Kendra Strauss, Director, The Labour Studies Program and the SFU Morgan Centre for Labour Research, and Distinguished SFU Professor, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Simon Fraser University
Anna Su, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
Mira Sucharov, Professor of Political Science, Carleton University
Erick Sullivan, Avocat et direction adjoint, Clinique de droit international pénal et humanitaire, Faculté de droit, Université Laval
Gail Super, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto
Donald Swartz, Professor [ret], School of Public policy and Administration, Carleton University
Dr. Christina Szurlej, Human Rights Department, St. Thomas University
Gökbörü Sarp Tanyildiz, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Brock University
Vladimir Tasic, Professor of Mathematics, University of New Brunswick
Dr. Heather Tasker, Postdoctoral Fellow, Emergency Medicine (Global Health), Queen’s University
Dr. Tara Taylor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, St. Francis Xavier University
David P Thomas, Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations, Mount Allison University
Dr. Andrew Thompson, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Waterloo
Ozgun Topak, Associate Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University
Simon Tremblay-Pepin, Professeur, École d’Innovation sociale Élisabeth-Bruyère, Université Saint-Paul
James L. Turk, Director, Centre for Free Expression, Toronto Metropolitan University
Dr. Natasha Tusikov, Associate Professor, Department of Social Science, York University
Dr. Pheroze Unwalla, Associate Professor, History and Middle East Studies, University of British Columbia
Frédéric Vairel, Professeur titulaire, Ecole d’études politiques, Université d’Ottawa
Dr. Tracy Valcourt, Deparment of Art History (part-time), Concordia University
Dr. Kirsten Van Houten, Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Guelph
Karine Vanthuyne, Associate Professor, School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa
Dr. Ashwini Vasanthakumar, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen’s University
Renée Vaugeois, Executive Director, John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights; Director, Righting Relations Canada; and Director, Coalition for Justice and Human Rights
Brenda Vellino, Professor, English Department and Interdisciplinary Studies, Carleton University
Dr. Vasanthi Venkatesh, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor
Usha Viswanathan, Professeure agrégée, Le Centre de formation linguistique pour les études en français, Université York
Mazahir Walji, Barrister and Solicitor, Toronto
Professor Christopher Waters, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor
Dr. Simone Weil Davis, Instructor, Ethics, Society & Law, University of Toronto
Michael C. Welsh, Ambassador (ret.); and Former Director General, Consular Affairs, Global Affairs Canada
Sara Wharton, Associate Professor, University of Windsor, Faculty of Law
Dr. Shelly Whitman, Executive Director, Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace, and Security
Wanda Wiegers, Professor, College of Law, University of Saskatchewan
Emily Regan Wills, Associate Professor, School of Political Studies, University of Ottawa
David Wiseman, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa
Vincent Wong, Assistant Professor, University of Windsor Faculty of Law
Stepan Wood, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Law, Society and Sustainability, Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia
Thomas Woodley, President, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Ellen Woodsworth, Co-President, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Canada
b.h. Yael, Professor, Faculty of Art, OCAD University
James Yap, Human rights lawyer, Toronto
Drew Yewchuk, Lawyer
Sophie Zhang, M.D. M.Sc., Family physician, Clinical assistant professor at the University of Montreal

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