Return of Dr. Hassan Diab and Open Letter
After three years and two months detained in isolation in France without being charged, Hassan finally returned to Canada on Monday January 15, 2018. We are proud to have contributed since its beginning to the campaign to obtain justice for Hassan Diab. The fight is not over. French prosecutors have appealed his release. Furthermore, we have sent an open letter to Prime Minister Trudeau calling for an independent and public inquiry into Hassan’s ordeal, to ensure that this abuse and injustice never happen again. Watch our live-stream of Hassan’s press conference after his return:
Bill C-59: Op-ed, Amendments & New Action
Our National Coordinator Tim McSorley live-tweeted all the SECU committee clause-by-clause meetings on Bill C-59, the National Security Act of 2017, where committee members vote on amendments proposed after hearing all the testimonies. Here is a summary of the meetings, and the passed and rejected amendments.
Tim and BCCLA’s Policy Director Micheal Vonn wrote an op-ed denouncing three of the main problems with Bill C-59. And based on these three main issues, we launched a new action calling on the SECU committee to fix C-59 and protect our human rights.
We released our last video explainer on Bill C-59, the National Security Act of 2017!
Check out all the C-59 videos. Don’t hesitate to share it on Facebook & Twitter. And to subscribe to our channel to be notified when our next videos come out.
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We submitted our brief and testified at the Public Safety Committee on Bill C-59!
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January 29 Commemoration & Resources against Islamophobia
January 29, 2018 marked the one-year anniversary of the attack on the Quebec City mosque that killed 6 men and wounded 19. ICLMG is committed to combating Islamophobia as it is both a cause and a consequence of the racist foundations and applications of national security. To highlight the important day, we attended the commemoration events at the Human Rights Monument and Ottawa City Hall, we supported the National Council of Canadian Muslims’ call to designate January 29 as a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Islamophobia and we put together a list of resources to contribute to the fight against hate and for equality.
Support for the Muskrat Falls action
We have been denouncing the criminalization of the Labrador Land Protectors and their allies, as well as the criminalization of journalist Justin Brake – an unprecedented violation of press freedom in Canadian recent history — who was covering the protests against the dam project in Muskrat Falls which will poison or drown the people living downstream. On Monday, Labrador Land Protectors came to Parliament Hill to deliver photos of people whose lives are in danger to all federal MPs who are supporting the dam project with $9.2 billion. We supported the action by publicizing it and live streaming the whole day. Watch the main action on the Hill below, and all four videos of the whole day of action here:
Justice for Mariano Abarca
We supported actions to bring awareness and justice for Mariano Abarca, a key leader in his community’s fight against the social and environmental impacts of a Canadian company’s mining operations who was murdered eight years ago. All of the suspects in his murder were connected to the Calgary-based company, Blackfire Exploration; there never has been a full, impartial investigation. This case is being brought to Canada now because documents obtained through Access to Information show that the Canadian Embassy in Mexico supported Blackfire extensively and is now being accused of being implicated in Abarca’s death. Watch the panel we livestreamed for more details & take action.
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Redress system for #NoFlyListKids!
We are proud to have supported the #NoFlyKids group in the struggle for a redress system for false positives. They did an amazing job! The ICLMG, among other advocates, have long called for a centralized redress system to address these false positives. However, a redress system is just one piece of the puzzle in fixing Canada’s No Fly List program. The ICLMG will thus continue to urge lawmakers to repeal the No Fly List, including by amending Bill C-59, the National Security Act, 2017. Read our press release.
Standing with Honduras!
On May 1st, the ICLMG, alongside several other individuals and groups, participated in a rally on Parliament Hill and live streamed an evening panel in support of a campaign for #Justice4Berta, and to #FreeEdwinEspinal and #FreePoliticalPrisonersHN in Honduras. Watch Honduras Solidarity Network’s coordinator Karen Spring’s intervention at the rally here, our National Coordinator Tim McSorley’s short speech at the rally here, and the evening panel here.
We presented at CUPE’s National Meeting
We presented at the CAUT Council Meeting
Our Communications and Research Coordinator, Anne Dagenais Guertin, and ICLMG’s steering committee’s co-chair and program manager at Inter Pares, Kevin Malseed, presented on ICLMG’s work, victories and upcoming campaigns at the 2018 Canadian Association of University Teachers Council Meeting at Le Château Laurier last Friday. CAUT is one of our long-time member organizations.
Our News Digest
We continue to publish our weekly News Digest that you all receive. If you know anyone interested in national security and/or human rights, send them an invite to sign up!
That’s it for 2018 so far!
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Thank you for your support in protecting civil liberties!
PS: For what we’ve been up to since ICLMG was created in 2002, check out our Achievements and Gains page!
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