Canada: A Safe Haven for War Criminals. Is this what you support?
George W. Bush Visits Canada., A Message to Members of Parliament
George W. Bush, former US president and notorious accused war criminal, is scheduled to come to Surrey British Columbia on October 20th 2011 as the guest of Mayor Diane Watts and the City of Surrey Councilors .
As a person accused, on reasonable grounds of torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity, Canada is legally bound to ensure that George W. Bush does not receive safe haven from prosecution in Canada . Canada ’s elected representatives must fulfill this duty either by ensuring that George W. Bush is barred from entering Canada , or if he enters the country, taking measures to ensure he is prosecuted in Canada or extradited to a country willing and able to prosecute. See LAW’s August 25/11 letter outlining the facts and law. http://www.lawyersagainstthewar.org/letters/LAW_letter_re_George_Bush__20110825.pdf
We remind you of the statement of London ‘s mayor Boris Johnson that if George W. Bush were to come to the U.K. or any other European country, “he might never see Texas again,” due to the risk of a lawful arrest for authorizing torture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwWb5jaJYYs
We expect the same result in Canada.
We request you to take effective action to ensure that George W. Bush does not receive in Canada , in violation of the law, safe haven from prosecution for torture and other grave crimes. We call on all Members of Parliament to:
· Advise G.W. Bush that, as a person accused on reasonable grounds of complicity in torture and other war crimes and crimes against humanity, he is not admissible to Canada unless and until such accusations have been tried and dismissed by a competent court; and,
· Advise G.W. Bush that if he enters Canada , he risks arrest and prosecution in Canada or extradition to another country for prosecution; and,
· Advise G.W. Bush that notwithstanding your silence in the past on this issue, you will do everything in your power to ensure that that he is held accountable in accordance with the law for the crimes of which he is accused; and,
· Advise the Attorney General of Canada to prevent Bush from entering Canada or to approve criminal proceedings against him under the Criminal Code or the Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Act.
We remind you of your duty as elected representatives to uphold the law and the rule of law, to ensure the equal application of the law and to oppose efforts to flout the law to benefit political or economic allies such as George W. Bush. Your failure or refusal to apply the law coupled with efforts to shield George W. Bush from the law, effectively provide license to other heads of state to engage in widespread and illegal acts of war, war crimes and crimes against humanity: acts that have caused the death, injury, displacement and enforced disappearances of millions of innocent people in Iraq alone.
DON’T SUPPORT IMPUNITY FOR THE PERPETRATORS OF THESE CRIMES
To reply or for more information contact Lawyers against the War
Tel: +1 604 738 0338; Fax: +1 604 736 1175; [email protected]; www.lawyersagainstthewar.org