April 26, 2007
No. 63
The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency, today made the following statement on the April 24 trial
and sentencing of human rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni to five years’ detention, as well
as the conduct of the April 22 and 23 legislative elections:
“The Government of Canada is very concerned about the outcome of the trial of Anwar
al-Bunni on charges related to his efforts to build a culture of human rights in Syria and
denounce torture in Syrian prisons. We are also concerned about the ongoing trials of
opposition figure Kamal Labwani and intellectuals Michel Kilo, Mahmoud ’Issa, Khalil
Hussein and Suleiman al-Shummar.
“Syria must ensure that its domestic laws and practices are in keeping with its
international human rights obligations. Canada urges Syria to release all political
prisoners and take concrete steps toward respecting and protecting human rights, and
guaranteeing freedom of expression, assembly and association, starting with the recall
of its 44-year-old Emergency Law. Syria must also take firm measures to stop arbitrary
arrest, incommunicado detention, torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment,
as well as to investigate allegations of these practices, prosecute perpetrators and
provide remedies for the victims.
“The Government of Canada is furthermore concerned with the shortcomings of the
Syrian election law, system and process. Syria should guarantee its citizens the right to
genuinely democratic legislative and presidential elections, as part of a fully fair and
participatory political process, as part of a move toward providing its citizens freedom,
democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
http://www.international.gc.ca
