[Fdu] update in case of Dr. Hassan Diab of Carleton University: French Investigative Judges Order Diab’s Release for Sixth Time; Diab’s Supporters Call on the Prime Minister to Intervene

[Cynthia Wright]

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

25 April, 2017, Ottawa – Yesterday, two French anti-terrorism 
investigative judges ordered again the release of Dr. Hassan Diab, the 
Canadian academic who was extradited from Canada to France in November 
2014. The French judges found that there is “consistent evidence” that 
Dr. Diab was in Lebanon at the time of the 1980 Paris bombing. This is 
the sixth release order for Dr. Diab since last May, and the second 
release order within three weeks. The French Court of Appeal overturned 
all previous release orders. The prosecutor is appealing this latest 
release order.

William Bourdon, Apolline Cagnat and Amélie Lefebvre, Hassan’s lawyers 
in France, noted that “even though two weeks ago, the Court of Appeal 
overturned for the fifth time the decision to release Hassan Diab, the 
investigating judges have refused to renew Hassan’s expiring detention 
warrant. As the investigation progressed, the elements for charge that 
were already very weak to begin with have shrunk and are now close to 
nothing, while the elements for discharging Hassan are multiplying and 
are extremely convincing. The investigating judges are firm on the fact 
that it is not possible in a state of law to continue to detain Hassan.”

Don Bayne, Dr. Diab’s Canadian lawyer, stated that “the French 
investigative judges have repeatedly ordered Dr. Diab's release because 
of "consistent evidence" that he was studying for and writing exams in 
Lebanon and was not even in France at the time of the 1980 bombing – and 
thus is completely innocent. Dr. Diab’s continued incarceration is 
wholly and manifestly unjust. It is past time for this government to 
come to the aid of a Canadian citizen, to end this travesty of justice, 
to bring him home. ‘Prime Minister Trudeau, Minister Freeland, where are 
you when an innocent Canadian needs you?’ ”

When Dr. Diab was ordered released by the judge of freedom and detention 
in May 2016, he spent ten days out on bail in Paris without incident, 
before his release order was overturned by the same panel of Court of 
Appeal judges which has repeatedly denied him bail.

Dr. Hassan Diab was extradited from Canada to France in November 2014. 
The Canadian extradition judge described the evidence against Dr. Diab 
as “illogical”, “very problematic”, and “convoluted”. However, the 
Canadian judge stated that the low threshold for evidence under Canada’s 
extradition law left him no choice but to commit Dr. Diab to extradition.

Roger Clark, the former Secretary General of Amnesty International 
Canada, remarked that “this travesty of justice continues solely for 
political reasons, there being no legal basis for Dr. Diab’s continuing 
imprisonment. Rather than acknowledge that an egregious error has been 
perpetrated, French authorities insist on maintaining their cruel 
charade against a background of widespread islamophobia and a fear of 
appearing weak on terrorism. Canada must immediately convey to the 
French Government the urgency of preventing further distortion of 
justice and of ensuring Hassan Diab's speedy return to his home and family.”

Supporters of Dr. Diab have launched a Parliamentary petition 
<https://petitions.parl.gc.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-833>calling 
upon the Government of Canada to work towards the immediate granting of 
bail to Hassan and securing his urgent return to his family and home in 
Canada.

*For more information:*

Hassan Diab Support Committee
diabsupport at gmail.com <mailto:diabsupport at gmail.com>
http://www.justiceforhassandiab.org <http://www.justiceforhassandiab.org/>


	

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