Justice minister orders review of Diab case

Outside review of extradition case underway

OTTAWA — Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has asked for an independent review of an extradition that resulted in Ottawa professor Hassan Diab spending three years in a French jail only to be suddenly released.

The external review — which has not started — is in addition to an internal “lessons learned” examination already underway, a spokesperson for Wilson-Raybould said Wednesday.

French authorities suspected Diab, 64, was involved in the 1980 bombing of a Paris synagogue that killed four people and injured dozens of others, an accusation he has always denied.

The sociology professor and his supporters have been urging the federal government to hold a full public inquiry into the case and to reform the Extradition Act to ensure individual rights are respected.

In a letter, made available to the The Canadian Press by the two rights organizations, Tuesday to Amnesty International Canada and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, Wilson-Raybould said Diab was afforded “all of the procedural safeguards” under the Extradition Act and that his charter rights were considered during Canadian court proceedings.

Amnesty’s Alex Neve welcomed the minister’s intention but called for a thorough public inquiry that probes the conduct of Canadian officials, to be led by a respected judge with access to documents and powers to compel testimony.

The inquiry must ensure Diab’s full involvement and allow for input from parties concerned with Canada’s extradition system, Neve added.

The Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the decisions of the lower court and the minister, and the Supreme Court of Canada declined to review the matter.

Diab’s supporters have long argued he was in Beirut — not Paris — when the attack took place and that his fingerprints, palm prints, physical description and age did not match those of the suspect identified in 1980.

In November 2014, Diab was sent to France, where he was held in solitary confinement up to 22 hours a day.

In January, French judges dismissed the allegations against Diab and ordered his immediate release.

Diab is back in Canada with his wife and children. However, French prosecuting authorities have appealed his release, and a decision is expected July 6.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said she and the prime minister had advocated “very energetically” for Diab’s return to Canada.