Canadian-Egyptian journalist Mohamed Fahmy and Amnesty International Canada Secretary General Alex Neve will appear before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development on Tuesday, February 13th at 3:30 p.m. to call for continued progress toward improved assistance and protection for Canadians requiring consular assistance when imprisoned abroad.
Following nearly two years of unjust detention in Egypt, Mohamed Fahmy, the Fahmy Foundation and Amnesty International partnered to launch a “Protection Charter” with 12 recommendations for Canada to improve protections for citizens and others with close connections to Canada who find themselves confronting human rights abuses including torture or the death penalty while imprisoned in other countries. Among other concerns, the Charter offers recommendations to address inconsistencies in Canadian practice and policy which have left some imprisoned Canadians with less government support than others. To date, Canada has made significant progress on four out of twelve recommendations laid out in the Charter. Neve and Fahmy will call on the Committee to ensure further progress is achieved for the benefit of Canadians, permanent residents, and others with strong Canadian connections.
WHAT: Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development hearing regarding the Provision of Assistance to Canadians in Difficulty Abroad (Consular Affairs)
WHO: Mohamed Fahmy, Journalist and founder of the Fahmy Foundation
Alex Neve, Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada
WHERE: Room 425, Wellington Building, 197 Sparks Street
WHEN: 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 13th
BACKGROUND:
Among the recommendations laid out in the Protection Charter are calls to enshrine the obligation to provide consular assistance in Canadian law to ensure consistency of support for all who need it; the establishment of an independent office to ensure equal treatment of all Canadians requiring consular assistance; mechanisms to support and protect journalists from false imprisonment and abuse; protections for Canadians with dual or multiple nationalities; protections against the death penalty; strengthening of national security review and oversight; safeguards against torture; appropriate partnerships with other governments to assist with consular cases; and strengthened protections for Canadian permanent residents and others with close Canadian connections.
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Media Contact: Jacob Kuehn, Media Relations, Amnesty International Canada; jkuehn@amnesty.ca / 613 744 7667 x 236
