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Rights groups speak out for prof accused in France bombing

By Megan Gillis/cnews.com
Published July 4, 2013

OTTAWA— Human rights and civil liberties groups are intervening in a former sociology professor’s bid to block his extradition to France in connection with a deadly 1980 synagogue bombing.

Lawyers for Amnesty International and the Canadian and B.C. Civil Liberties Associations will be there when Hassan Diab attacks what he’d called a “Kafkaesque” extradition process at the Ontario Court of Appeal Nov. 4 and 5.

Amnesty International isn’t taking a position on his guilt or innocence or whether he should be extradited or not, legal program co-ordinator Anna Shea said.

The issue is whether Canada should follow “crystal clear” international law banning evidence when there’s a “real risk” it was obtained by torture.

CIVIL LIBERTIES CAN’T PROTECT THEMSELVES