Dick Cheney: Bar Him From Canada or Arrest Him on Entry for Prosection in Canada or Extradition to a Country Willing and Able to Prosecute
Lawyers Against the War (LAW) is writing to inform you that Richard (Dick) Cheney, former Vice-President of the United States of America, is scheduled to speak at the Toronto Global Forum on October 30-31st 2013 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The event is hosted by the International Economic Forum of the Americas.
We are writing to confirm that Canada has an obligation to bar Cheney from entering Canada or arrest him on entry (LAW letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper: 30 Sept/1313)
Harper Government Ignores Torture Opponents’ Call to Ban Dick Cheney from Canada or Prosecute Him
Protest Planned on Halloween at Metro Toronto Convention Centre (Toronto) Lawyers from the National Lawyers Guild (U.S.), International Association of Democratic Lawyers, European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (Germany), Brussells Tribunal (Belgium), International Initiative to Prosecute US Genocide in Iraq (Iraq, Egypt, Spain), Lawyers Against the War (Canada) and Rights International Spain (Spain) are urging Canada to either bar Dick Cheney from Canada – as a person credibly accused of torture – or to arrest and prosecute him on arrival, as required by the Convention against Torture. A letter from Lawyers Against the War (LAW) sent to Canada’s Prime Minister, Attorney General and Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Immigration has been gravely ignored.
“It is long overdue for Cheney and other Bush administration officials to be held to account for the high crimes of instituting and implementing the systematic practice of torture. This
record of impunity must not be allowed to stand.”
Azadeh Shahshahani, President, National Lawyers Guild.
Torture and war crimes suspect Dick Cheney is scheduled as a keynote speaker at the October 31st luncheon of the Toronto Global Forum, hosted by the International Forum of the Americas.
Should Cheney be allowed to freely enter Canada despite the illegalities involved, civil society groups are planning a rally beginning at 11:00 am on Halloween, Oct. 31st, outside the Metro
Toronto Convention Centre.
Excerpt of Press Release 16 Oct/13
Read full text at http://www.lawyersagainstthewar.org/ArrestCheney.pdf
LAW letter of 17 Oct/13
Request for Investigation of torture allegations
The letter is a request for an investigation. We request you to ensure that the Canada War Crimes Program and/or the Special and International Investigation Unit or other such divisions of the
RCMP and/or Ministry of Justice responsible for the investigation of allegations of torture, systematic or gross human rights violations, crimes against humanity or war crimes, to immediately take the following steps: Begin an investigation of Richard Cheney for aiding, abetting, counseling and encouraging the use of torture by U.S. officials between 13 November 2001 and December 2008 at Guantánamo Bay prison in Cuba, Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, Bagram prison in Afghanistan and at other locations outside the U.S.; Advise the Prime Minister, Attorney General of Canada and Ministers of Immigration and Public Safety that the George W. Bush administration “…engaged in torture and other war crimes and crimes against humanity,” and therefore that Richard Cheney is also inadmissible under section 35(1) (b) of the IRPA; Ensure that Richard Cheney will be arrested immediately upon entry to Canada in order to secure this person and prevent him receiving safe haven from prosecution; and, Initiate a prosecution of Richard Cheney for torture under the Criminal Code of Canada.
LAW has advised the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Justice, Immigration and Foreign Affairs that, as a person credibly accused of torture and other offences under sections 4 to 7 of the
Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act (CAHWC), Richard Cheney is inadmissible to Canada under the following provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA):
Arrest, investigation and prosecution of torture suspect Richard Cheney
1. Section 35(1)(a) because of overwhelming evidence that he has “committed, outside Canada, torture and other offences referred to in sections 4 to 7 of the Crimes against Humanity and
War Crimes Act [CAHWC]”;
2. Section 34(1) (b) for, “engaging in or instigating the subversion by force of [Iraq and Afghanistan] any government.”; and, 3. Section 35 (1) (b) because he was a senior official of a government (the Bush administration) that engaged in “systematic or gross human rights violations, or a war crime or a crime against humanity within the meaning of subsections 6(3) to (5) of the [CAHWC].”
LAW letter of 17 Oct/13 Read full text at http://www.lawyersagainstthewar.org/lawtowarcrimes.pdf
See also
Reply from War Crimes 23 Oct/13 http://www.lawyersagainstthewar.org/reply.pdf
Forward and distribute these materials as you see fit.
Also contact MPs, MPPs, media and express your opposition to Canada providing immunity to one of the world’s most notorious war criminals.
