[Fdu] Dr. Hassan Diab (Carleton) Support Committee Press Conference on Wednesday May 12, 2021, 10:00 am EST

[Cynthia Wright]

You are invited to an online press conference on Wednesday May 12, 2021, 
at 10:00 am Eastern Time, to hear about the latest developments in Dr. 
Hassan Diab’s case. On this day, France’s highest court, the Court of 
Cassation, will hear an appeal from Hassan’s lawyers regarding the 
shocking and deeply troubling flaws in the January 27, 2021, French 
Court of Appeal’s decision.

Press conference speakers will include Don Bayne (Hassan’s Canadian 
lawyer), Ketty Nivyabandi (Secretary General of Amnesty International 
Canada), and Tim McSorley (National Coordinator, International Civil 
Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG)), who will comment on the January 27, 
2021, French Court of Appeal decision referring Hassan to trial.

*What:*Press conference reacting to the latest developments in Dr. 
Hassan Diab’s case

*When:*Wednesday 12 May, 2021, at 10:00 am EST

**

*Amnesty International Canada will provide a livestream of the press 
conference. You can access the livestream directly through the Facebook 
page:***

https://www.facebook.com/amnestycanada 
<https://www.facebook.com/amnestycanada>

**

In its decision, the Court of Appeal misrepresented evidence, misstated 
facts, relied on discredited evidence, made up non-existent evidence, 
and engaged in contradictory reasoning and troubling analysis based on 
unfounded speculation.

**

*Here’s a link to Don Bayne’s memos detailing the shocking flaws in the 
French Court of Appeal’s decision:***

http://www.justiceforhassandiab.org/bayne-memos-2021-05 
<http://www.justiceforhassandiab.org/bayne-memos-2021-05>

**

-------

**

*Video***

**

Michelle Weinroth has written and produced this deeply moving poem about 
Hassan’s case (Music: “Adora Vivos”):

“Act now, Sir, and put an end to this tale of sorrow”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DzKReAJtms 
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DzKReAJtms>

-------

**

*Background***

Dr. Hassan Diab is a Canadian sociology professor whose life has been 
turned upside down by false allegations of involvement in a bombing in 
Paris in 1980. Dr. Diab was extradited from Canada to France in 2014 
based on a deeply flawed handwriting analysis (the “Bisotti report”) of 
five words in block letters on a hotel registration card. Five of the 
world’s leading handwriting experts criticized the Bisotti report as 
totally unreliable.

For over three years, Hassan languished in solitary confinement in a 
French prison, without formal charges or trial. In January 2018, Hassan 
was released from prison following the decision of two French 
investigative judges (/juges d’instruction/). They found that there is 
consistent evidence that Hassan was in Lebanon taking exams at the time 
of the 1980 bombing, in addition to significant evidence (fingerprints 
and palm prints) exculpating Hassan. Soon after, Hassan returned to his 
family and home in Canada.

However, the French state prosecutor and civil parties were determined 
to keep the case going, rather than admit their wrongful pursuit of an 
innocent man. They filed an appeal against the investigative judges’ 
Order of Dismissal.

On January 27, 2021, a French Court of Appeal overturned the decision of 
the investigative judges and ordered Hassan to stand trial, even though 
evidence against him had been entirely discredited. According to the 
French newspaper Le Monde 
<https://www.justiceforhassandiab.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Le-Monde-2021-01-28-EN-Translation.pdf>, 
the Court of Appeal decision is exceptional, because never before, in 
terrorism cases, had a Court of Appeal opposed the investigating judges.

Hassan’s French lawyers have appealed to the Court of Cassation, 
France’s highest court, which will hear their appeal on May 12, 2021. In 
the meantime, the French /avocat général/ has asked the Court of 
Cassation to quash the Court of Appeal decision referring Hassan Diab to 
trial,because of contradictions in its reasoning and failure to address 
issues raised by the defence.

At the press conference on May 12, speakers will comment on the latest 
developments in Dr. Hassan Diab’s case and the shocking and deeply 
troubling flaws in the January 27, 2021, Court of Appeal decision.

The Canadian government must refuse a potential second request for 
Hassan’s extradition to France, and put an immediate end to this 
continuing miscarriage of justice.

*Hassan Diab Support Committee*

Email: diabsupport at gmail.com <mailto:diabsupport at gmail.com>

Web: http://www.facebook.com/groups/justiceforhassandiab.org 
<http://www.facebook.com/groups/justiceforhassandiab.org>

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/justiceforhassandiab 
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/justiceforhassandiab>

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JusticeforHDiab 
<https://www.facebook.com/JusticeforHDiab>

Twitter: https://twitter.com/justiceforhdiab 
<https://twitter.com/justiceforhdiab>

------------------------------------------------------------------------

<mailto:diabsupport-Unsubscribe at lists.riseup.net>


-- 
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.physics.utoronto.ca/pipermail/fdu/attachments/20210511/f71ea1a1/attachment-0001.htm>