Dear Friends:
I’m writing to you because you signed our online action about the case of Naser al Raas, a Canadian sentenced to five years in prison in Bahrain simply for being part of the peaceful protests. I’m hoping you have a few minutes to do a quick follow up action in the next few days.
As you may remember, Naser has some serious health problems including a heart condition and a blood disorder. His doctor in Canada believes that Naser’s life will be in jeopardy if he is imprisoned because he needs special medication and careful monitoring. But we just found out that a judge summarily turned down a request to suspend Naser al Raas's re-arrest pending his appeal on November 22nd. The judge gave no reason for his decision: he simply wrote the word “refused” on the original letter from the lawyer.
Naser’s trial wasn’t fair. We fear that the appeal hearing won’t be either. And five years in prison could be a death sentence.
We need the Canadian government to act now. Today Naser made a personal appeal to the Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Services). He feels abandoned by his own government at the time when he needs the most help: “I would have thought that the Canadian government would have told the Bahraini government that they must respect freedom of expression; that they cannot torture people…Please Minister, take decisive action now, before it is too late and I am back in a Bahraini courtroom or a Bahraini jail. Speak up before I am once again at risk of being tortured.”
Please take a moment to send you own message to Minister Ablonczy before Monday. It doesn’t need to be more than a few simple sentences – in fact a short message is more likely to be read. Tell her that it is not enough to “monitor” while a citizen goes through a blatantly unfair legal process in another country. Canada needs to send a clear message to the government of Bahrain before the appeal on Tuesday, November 22nd that the charges against Naser al Raas should be dropped and his conviction overturned.
Write to:
The Honourable Diane Ablonczy
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs)
Fax: 613 992 2537; 613 996 8968
Email: diane.ablonczy@parl.gc.ca
You can copy your message to:
The Honourable John Baird
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Fax: 613 996 8968
Email: john.baird@parl.gc.ca
Read Naser’s letter: http://www.amnesty.ca/files/Letter_NaserAlRaas_to_Ablonczy_18Nov2011.pdf
Thank you for your commitment to human rights. Naser and his fiancé Zainab have been overwhelmed to see the support from Canada and around the world.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about this case.
Best wishes,
Hilary
Hilary Homes
Campaigner: International Justice, Security and Human Rights
Amnesty International Canada
hhomes@amnesty.ca 613 744 7667 ext 247
Check out the blog www.amnesty.ca/security and receive regular updates via Twitter @AmnestySecurity
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