Hassan Diab Support Committee

The Hassan Diab Support Committee (HDSC) is a human rights and advocacy group that was founded in 2008. The group works to defend Dr. Hassan Diab, a Canadian citizen and sociology professor who lives in Ottawa, from unjust prosecution and unfair extradition.
Hassan Diab is falsely accused of involvement in a bombing outside a Paris synagogue in October 1980. In 2008, Hassan was arrested by the RCMP at the request of France and, after extradition proceedings, was extradited to France in 2014. Hassan was incarcerated in a prison near Paris for over 3 years, while the French continued their investigation. In January 2018, Hassan was fully exonerated and returned unconditionally to Canada after two French investigative judges determined that there was no evidence linking him to the bombing. However, French prosecutors, urged on by political pressure and the victims’ lobby, appealed Hassan’s release and he has been ordered to face trial in France in April 2023 despite a wealth of evidence exonerating him. Hassan now faces the danger of a wrongful conviction and a second extradition for a crime he did not commit.
The Hassan Diab Support Committee continues to educate the public about the fundamental unfairness of Canada’s extradition law, seeks to reform this law, and works to protect Hassan Diab from further unjust prosecution and a second extradition. To learn more, visit http://www.justiceforhassandiab.org.
Hassan Diab is falsely accused of involvement in a bombing outside a Paris synagogue in October 1980. In 2008, Hassan was arrested by the RCMP at the request of France and, after extradition proceedings, was extradited to France in 2014. Hassan was incarcerated in a prison near Paris for over 3 years, while the French continued their investigation. In January 2018, Hassan was fully exonerated and returned unconditionally to Canada after two French investigative judges determined that there was no evidence linking him to the bombing. However, French prosecutors, urged on by political pressure and the victims’ lobby, appealed Hassan’s release and he has been ordered to face trial in France in April 2023 despite a wealth of evidence exonerating him. Hassan now faces the danger of a wrongful conviction and a second extradition for a crime he did not commit.
The Hassan Diab Support Committee continues to educate the public about the fundamental unfairness of Canada’s extradition law, seeks to reform this law, and works to protect Hassan Diab from further unjust prosecution and a second extradition. To learn more, visit http://www.justiceforhassandiab.org.
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Protégez Hassan Diab de toute nouvelle injustice. Dites NON à toute future demande d'extradition !CONTEXTE : M. Hassan Diab est citoyen canadien et professeur d'université. Jusqu'en 2008, il menait une vie productive et paisible à Ottawa, au Canada. En 2008, il a été arrêté par la Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC) à la demande de la France pour son implication présumée dans un attentat à la bombe devant une synagogue parisienne le 3 octobre 1980, attentat qui a tué quatre personnes et en a blessé plus de 40. M. Diab a toujours nié toute implication dans ce crime, soulignant qu'il s'agissait d'une erreur d'identité et qu'à cette époque, il était étudiant au Liban en train de passer ses examens. Après avoir été détenu pendant près de cinq mois au Centre de détention d'Ottawa-Carleton, M.Diab a été libéré sous de lourdes conditions de caution, notamment une assignation à résidence presque totale. Au Canada l'audience d'extradition s'est déroulée de fin 2009 à juin 2011. L'audience a montré à quel point le dossier contre M. Diab est peu cohérent et sans fondement. Deux rapports d'analyse graphologique présentés par la France reposaient sur des échantillons qui n'avaient pas été écrits par M. Diab ; ils ont dû être remplacés par une troisième analyse graphologique. Cinq experts en graphologie de renommée mondiale, originaires de la Grande-Bretagne, du Canada, de la Suisse et des États-Unis, ont témoigné que ce troisième rapport d'analyse était partial, totalement défectueux et non fiable, et qu'une analyse objective ne pouvait impliquer M. Diab. Il y a un manque total de preuves scientifiques à l'appui de cette affaire. La personne qui a posé la bombe en 1980 avait laissé des empreintes (de doigts et d’une paume), dont aucune ne correspond à celles de M. Diab. Les descriptions des témoins étaient également truffées de contradictions. De plus, le dossier contre M. Diab repose sur des renseignements secrets, sans source, qui pourraient avoir été obtenus par la torture. Ces renseignements ont été retirés de l'audience d'extradition au Canada en raison de leur nature extrêmement problématique. Cependant, ces renseignements figurent toujours dans le dossier français. Human Rights Watch a démontré l'utilisation de renseignements secrets et de procès inéquitables dans le cadre des lois antiterroristes françaises. En ordonnant l'extradition de M. Diab, le juge d'extradition canadien, Robert Maranger, a noté que seule la preuve graphologique (qui a été fortement critiquée par les experts internationaux en graphologie) fournirait un motif d'extradition. Le juge a noté que les preuves graphologiques étaient « alambiquées », « très confuses » et menaient à des « conclusions douteuses ». Toutefois, il a déclaré que la loi canadienne sur l'extradition ne lui laissait pas d'autre choix que d’ordonner l’extradition de M. Diab. La quête de justice de M. Diab s'est poursuivie pendant trois années supplémentaires, y compris les appels dans le système judiciaire canadien. À la suite du refus de la Cour suprême du Canada d'entendre son dernier appel, il a été rapidement extradé vers la France en novembre 2014. On lui a dérobé la possibilité de dire au revoir à sa femme (qui attendait leur deuxième enfant) et à sa fille de deux ans. M. Diab a été incarcéré dans le pénitencier à sécurité maximale de Fleury-Mérogis, situé dans la banlieue de Paris. Il y a passé 38 mois en quasi-isolement. (Les normes internationales ont constaté que l'isolement cellulaire au-delà de 15 jours constitue un traitement cruel et équivaut très probablement à de la torture). À l’encontre des principes usuels d’extradition, les autorités françaises n’ont pas proféré d’accusations formelles avant l’extradition de M. Diab. Pendant son séjour en prison en France, les juges d’instruction, MM. Jean-Marc Herbaut et Richard Foltzer, poursuivirent l’enquête judiciaire vieille de plusieurs décennies. À huit reprises, les juges d’instruction ordonnèrent la libération sous conditions de M. Diab. Les procureurs réussirent chaque fois à les contrer. Enfin, en janvier 2018, les deux juges d’instruction, leur enquête terminée (y compris un voyage au Liban pour interroger des témoins, afin de vérifier l’alibi de M. Diab), conclurent que le dossier ne justifiait pas un procès et ordonnèrent la libération immédiate de M. Diab. Deux jours plus tard, M. Diab retournait à Ottawa et retrouvait sa famille, dont son fils né pendant son incarcération en France. Entre-temps, les procureurs français, poussés par la pression politique et le lobby des victimes, ont fait appel de l'ordonnance de non-lieu des juges d'instruction. La Cour d'appel française a ordonné une nouvelle analyse graphologique qui a déterminé que l'analyse graphologique précédente, retenue par le juge Maranger, n'était pas concluante, qu'elle utilisait une méthodologie erronée et n'était absolument pas fiable. Les analystes ont indiqué qu'ils étaient en parfait accord avec les experts internationaux en graphologie de M. Diab. Malgré cela et dans une décision qui choque la conscience, la justice française a fixé la date d'avril 2023 pour le procès de M. Diab, plus de cinq ans après qu'il a été blanchi de toutes les accusations et libéré sans conditions par les juges d'instruction français. Si M. Diab est jugé en France, il le sera sur la base de preuves non fiables et erronées qu'il n'est pas autorisé à contester efficacement. Les rapports d'analyse graphologique discrédités et les « informations » sans source avérée provenant de services de renseignement anonymes restent dans le dossier. Les preuves présentées par ses avocats ne seraient pas prises en compte de manière équitable, car les témoins experts de la défense sont considérés avec méfiance par le tribunal. Hassan Diab risque un procès inéquitable, une condamnation injustifiée et une nouvelle extradition. Nous demandons instamment au gouvernement canadien de prendre toutes les mesures nécessaires pour lui épargner une nouvelle erreur judiciaire.297 of 300 SignaturesCreated by Hassan Diab Support Committee / Le Comité de soutien à Hassan Diab
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Protect Hassan Diab from further injustice. Say NO to any future request for Hassan's extradition!BACKGROUND: Dr. Hassan Diab is a Canadian citizen and university professor, who until 2008 was living a productive and peaceful life in Ottawa, Canada. In 2008, he was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) at the request of France for alleged involvement in a bombing outside a Paris synagogue on 3 October 1980, which killed four people and wounded more than 40. Hassan has always denied any involvement in the crime, pointing out that this is a case of mistaken identity, and that he was a student in Lebanon at the time writing his exams. After being held for almost five months in the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre, Hassan was released under onerous bail conditions, including virtual house arrest, and an electronic monitoring device for which he was required to pay $2,000 per month. The extradition hearing in Canada ran from late 2009 until June of 2011. The hearing laid bare just how flimsy and baseless the case against Hassan is. Two handwriting analysis reports presented by France relied on samples that were not written by Hassan, and had to be replaced by a third handwriting analysis. Five world-renowned handwriting experts from Britain, Canada, Switzerland, and the United States testified that this third handwriting analysis report is biased, totally flawed, and utterly unreliable, and that an objective analysis points away from Hassan. There is a complete lack of forensic evidence to support the case. The suspect had left finger and palm prints behind, none of which matched Hassan’s. Witness descriptions were also riddled with contradictions. Moreover, the case against Hassan relies on secret, unsourced intelligence that may be the product of torture. The intelligence was withdrawn from the extradition hearing in Canada in recognition of its extremely problematic nature. However, the intelligence remains in the French dossier. Human Rights Watch has documented the use of secret intelligence and unfair trials under France’s anti-terrorism laws. In committing Hassan to extradition, the Canadian extradition judge, Justice Robert Maranger, noted that the handwriting evidence (which was heavily criticized by the international handwriting experts) — and only this evidence — is grounds for committal. The judge described the handwriting evidence as “convoluted”, “very confusing”, and “with conclusions that are suspect”, but stated that Canada’s extradition law left him no choice but to commit Hassan. In his committal decision on 6 July 2011, Justice Maranger, wrote: o “the evidence that tips the scale in favor of committal is the handwriting comparison evidence.” (para. 189) o “the case presented by the Republic of France against Mr. Diab is a weak case; the prospects of conviction in the context of a fair trial, seem unlikely.” (para. 191) o “It is presupposed, based on our treaty with France, that they will conduct a fair trial, and that justice will be done.” (para. 195) Hassan's search for justice continued for three more years, including appeals in the Canadian court system. After the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear his final appeal, he was swiftly extradited to France in November 2014. He was not given the opportunity to say goodbye to his wife (who was expecting their second child) and his 2-year old daughter. Hassan was incarcerated in the Fleury-Mérogis maximum security prison on the outskirts of Paris. He spent the next 38 months there, in near solitary confinement. (International standards have determined that solitary confinement beyond 15 days constitutes cruel treatment and quite likely amounts to torture.) Contrary to standard principles of extradition, no formal charges were laid by the French authorities prior to Hassan’s extradition. While he was in prison in France, the French investigative judges (“juges d'instruction”), Jean-Marc Herbaut and Richard Foltzer, continued the investigation of the decades-long case. On eight occasions the investigative judges ordered Dr. Diab's release on bail. Eight times the state prosecutor (“procureur”) was successful in blocking his release. Finally, in January 2018, the two investigative judges, having completed their investigation which included travel to Lebanon to interview witnesses, concluded that there were no grounds for pursuing a trial and ordered that Dr. Diab be immediately released. Two days later, Dr. Diab returned to Ottawa and rejoined his family, including his 3-year old son who was born soon after his extradition. Meanwhile, the French prosecutors, urged on by political pressure and the victims’ lobby, appealed against the dismissal order (“ordonnance de non-lieu”) of the investigative judges. The French Court of Appeal ordered a new handwriting analysis which determined that the previous handwriting analysis, which was accepted by Justice Maranger, was inconclusive, used the wrong methodology, and was completely unreliable. The analysts indicated that they were in full agreement with Dr. Diab's international handwriting experts. In spite of this and in a decision that shocks the conscience, the French judiciary set an April 2023 date for the trial of Hassan, more than five years after he was cleared of all accusations and freed without conditions by the French investigative judges. If Hassan goes on trial in France, Hassan would be tried on unreliable and flawed evidence that he is not allowed to effectively challenge. The discredited handwriting analysis reports and unsourced intelligence remain in the dossier. Evidence introduced by his lawyers would not receive fair consideration because expert witnesses for the defence are viewed with suspicion by the court. Hassan Diab is facing an unfair trial, a wrongful conviction, and yet another extradition. We urge the Canadian government to take all necessary steps to save him from any further miscarriage of justice.8,188 of 9,000 SignaturesCreated by Hassan Diab Support Committee / Le Comité de soutien à Hassan Diab