Vancouver – Josh Paterson, Executive Director of the BC Civil Liberties Association, commented this morning on unconfirmed media reports that the Canada Border Services Agency may have arranged a confidentiality agreement with the family of Lucia Vega Jiménez, who died in CBSA custody in December:

“We are terribly concerned by the unconfirmed media report that Lucia Vega Jiménez’s sister signed a confidentiality agreement with CBSA in relation to Ms. Vega’s death. If what Ms. Vega’s sister is saying is true, it raises a real question as to the good faith of CBSA in dealing with this death. Was CBSA trying to keep the family quiet? If so, why? Did CBSA fail to disclose what happened to the public for a month in the hope that they could keep the news of this death under wraps?”

The BCCLA also commented on media reports that a private security company was responsible for security in the Vancouver airport detention centre, and that they may not have checked on Ms Vega Jiménez often enough while she was in their holding cells:

“The media have reported that a private security company was guarding Ms Vega Jiménez while she was detained, and that she was able to commit suicide while in custody. Pawning off the job of guarding and protecting prisoners to private companies is irresponsible. And whether it was CBSA officers or contractors hired by CBSA who were guarding Ms Vega Jiménez – it was CBSA’s responsibility to protect her from harm while she was detained. We need answers as to why that protection failed so tragically for Ms Vega Jiménez.”