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Canada - Svend J. Robinson- Member of Parliament |
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Monday, 07 February 2005 |
OTTAWA
PLEASE QUOTE FILE NUMBER DF03-32489
June 19, 2003
Honourable Bill Graham, PC MP
Minister of Foreign Affairs
418-N Centre Block
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Dear Bill,
I am writing to express my grave concern about the recent crackdown by
the French government on Iranians in France. On Tuesday, June 17th, a
reported 1,300 French police conducted a massive operation in a number
of cities, during which they arrested more than 150 members of the
Iranian opposition group, the People's Mujahideen.
Since then, Iranians around the world have been protesting in front of
French embassies, holding hunger strikes, and in some cases, setting
themselves alight. Indeed, not far from your office, in front of the
Embassy of France on Sussex Drive, a group of Canadians is currently
conducting a protest and hunger strike, petitioning the French to
release these captives.
I am concerned about the fate of the Iranian prisoners. As many are
likely political refugees from Iran, it is imperative that France not
be allowed to repatriate them, as their lives would clearly be in
jeopardy there. I would urge you to communicate this message
immediately to your counterparts in France, on behalf of the many
concerned Canadians, as time is of the essence in this matter.
Furthermore, the government of France must not be permitted to
arbitrarily detain prisoners, and must be held accountable for ensuring
that international standards of justice apply in their treatment.
Canada must strongly protest any move on behalf of the French to arrest
or detain individuals without just cause, or to delay a fair and open
judicial hearings for them.
I look forward to your earliest possible reply on this important matter.
Sincerely yours,
Svend J. Robinson, MP
Burnaby-Douglas
SJR/drf
CEP 232 |
