Urgent Action Appeal for Abuse Survivor Facing Possible Extradition to USA and 33 Years Behind Bars

December 8, 2015
Urgent Action Appeal for Abuse Survivor Facing Possible Extradition to USA and 33 Years Behind Bars

Friends,

Earlier today, Canada's new Minister of Justice, Jody Wilson-Raybould, launched a long-awaited process to develop an inquiry into the thousands of murdered and missing Indigenous women.  Ms. Wilson-Raybould has spoken numerous times about the need to respect the rights of and support women who have been the targets of male violence. These are both very refreshing signs.

However, on Friday of this week, a case will pass by her desk that could determine whether a female Canadian abuse survivor gets sent to the United States to face a possible 33 years in prison,  even though her only "crime" was in choosing to live and to protect herself and her children from physical, psychological, and emotional abuse.

MM (whose name cannot be revealed because of a publication ban) is charged with child abduction even though, as a provincial court has found, “We are in the presence of children running away from an abusive father without the knowledge or assistance of their mother, living in an abandoned home and finally begging their mother to take them away, so that their father couldn’t hurt them again.”

As a provincial court judge concluded, MM “could not be found guilty in Canada…if her intent was to protect the children from danger of imminent harm at the hands of their father and this, even if she did have the specific intent of depriving [him] of possession of the children as well.” No jury reasonably instructed in Canada would convict her, the judge concluded in dismissing the case.

Unfortunately, Canada's Justice Dept. (under Stephen Harper) appealed this decision and won based on very narrow technical grounds related to the Extradition Act. The case will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court on Friday morning (December 11).

If MM wins, the case will be reconsidered. If she loses, the Justice Minister has one of two choices: to surrender MM to the U.S., forcing her children into foster care or, alternatively, to determine that surrender would shock the conscience of Canadians and should be denied.

If your conscience is shocked that someone in MM's shoes faces being sent to the USA for saving the lives of her children, please send a quick email (details below).

ACTION
1. PLEASE email the Minister of Justice, the Parliamentary Secretary for Justice, and the International Assistance Group (which advises the Minister of Justice on such cases) at the following emails (this can be one email addressed to all three): Jody.Wilson-Raybould@parl.gc.ca, Cdncentralauthority@justice.gc.ca, Sean.Casey@parl.gc.ca  Let them know that regardless of Friday's court decision, the potential extradition of MM shocks your conscience and should be turned down. Please put  "MM Case" or "Please do not Extradite MM" in the subject line.

2. Learn more about this case at  http://womenwhochoosetolive.blogspot.ca/2015_06_01_archive.html

Thank you

Matthew Behrens
(on behalf of the Women Who Choose to Live campaign)