Vol. 81/No. 17 May 1, 2017
Free Hassan Diab, arrested in Canada, imprisoned
in France
The University of Ottawa professor was arrested in Canada in November 2008, when French authorities demanded his extradition for alleged involvement in the bombing of a Paris synagogue in 1980 — 28 years earlier. Diab, a Canadian citizen, born in Lebanon, was extradited to France in 2014, having suffered six years of imprisonment and house arrest in Canada.
Donald Bayne, Diab’s lawyer, went over the so-called “evidence” of his guilt, ripping apart every shred put forward by French authorities. In fact no charges have ever been filed against Diab. His extradition was sought and granted, and he is being held in solitary today because he is “under examination” for a possible crime.
Diab was studying for university exams in Beirut at the time of the bombing in Paris. The explosion killed four people and injured scores more.
There is no evidence tying Diab to the attack. At first French officials said they used handwriting analysis to show his handwriting looked like that on a hotel registration form in Paris. It turned out the handwriting they used from Diab was in fact that of his first wife.
Then French authorities said their secret intelligence agency had received information from an unidentified source that Diab was involved. However, they said, the information could not be turned over to prosecutors, much less to the court or the defense.
So he has never been charged for an explosion he has denounced that took place three decades ago. In fact, Jean-Marc Herbaut, the magistrate in charge of his case, ordered him released on bail last October, saying, “There exists consistent evidence tending to establish that Hassan Diab was in Beirut” at the time of the bombing. But the prosecutor objected and the French Appeals Court overturned the ruling.
The French government said Diab shouldn’t be released because it would cause “public disorder,” said Bayne. “How can this be true, unless Diab is a political prisoner.”
Diab has steadfastly maintained his innocence and explained he thinks the bombing was a horrible crime. His defense campaign is backed by numerous unions and Jewish, Muslim and civil liberties groups in Canada.
The continuing imprisonment of Diab by French authorities is part of their continuing attacks on political rights in the name of fighting terrorism. The French rulers imposed a state of emergency in November 2015 after attacks in Paris by the reactionary Islamic State killed 130 people. The state of emergency, which grants greater powers to cops and prosecutors and curtails workers’ rights, has been extended repeatedly since. It is set to run at least through July 15.
“Canada knew about the lack of evidence, but Canadian extradition law has a low threshold of proof,” making it virtually certain that extradition requests will be granted, Bayne said. Canadian extradition judges are ordered to presume the evidence presented is credible.
So when the French government asked for his extradition Diab was arrested and imprisoned. In Canada he was only allowed out on bail by agreeing to wear a special GPS-equipped ankle bracelet, but had to pay $2,000 a month to cover its expense.
Panelist Hasan Alam from Critical Muslim Voices described well-known cases in Canada of Muslim Arab men who have been jailed, extradited and/or denied due process under special “anti-terrorism” laws. Many of the victims of these attacks have fought for their rights through public campaigns, he said, pushing them back.
The defense campaign is urging people in Canada to press the government there to demand Diab’s return from France. Pointing to the wide legal latitude allowed in anti-terror cases, Bayne said, “it will take ordinary Canadians” to pressure the Canadian government to act in this case.
For more information and to get involved in defense activities, go to www.justiceforhassandiab.org.
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