Home / Commission to hear expert witnesses in Afghan detainee probe

Commission to hear expert witnesses in Afghan detainee probe

Ottawa – On Thursday, May 6, 2010, the Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC) will hear expert witnesses Professor Craig Forcese, of the University of Ottawa, and Professor Marco Sassoli, of the University of Geneva, Switzerland. The Military Police Complaints Commission asked Professor Forcese and Professor Sassoli to prepare papers that consider whether international and domestic criminal law provisions apply to Canadian Forces commanders who ordered detainees in Afghanistan to be transferred to Afghan Authorities.

The witnesses appear as part of the Commission’s ongoing inquiry to determine what military police officers knew about the torture of prisoners transferred from Canadian to Afghan custody, and what efforts, if any, they made to investigate when it became evident that transferred detainees were being abused.

What: MPCC to hear from witnesses Professor Craig Forcese, of the University of Ottawa, and Professor Marco Sassoli, of the University of Geneva, Switzerland

When: The experts will appear as a panel of two on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 1:00 P.M.
(EST), to be continued if necessary on Friday, May 7, 2010 at 9:00 AM (EST).

Where: 270 Albert Street, 10th floor, Ottawa, Ontario

Who: Amnesty and the BCCLA are represented by lawyers Paul Champ, Carmen Cheung, Khalid Elgazzar, and Grace Pastine.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Carmen Cheung, BCCLA Counsel: (778) 846-3704, [email protected]
Grace Pastine, BCCLA Litigation Director: (778) 241-7183, [email protected]

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