Ateneu Llibertari Estel Negre

Un jove nord-americà, que es va negar a anar a la guerra d'Iraq, va fugir al Canadà i ara les autoritats canadenques pretenen lliurar-lo als EUA que el jutjarien sota un tribunal militar. Cal escriure correus electrònics amb el text de sota dirigits al primer ministre canadenc [ Harper.S@parl.gc.ca ].

Més informació

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The Right Honorable Stephen Harper

Prime Minister of Canada

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to you as a member of ...., regarding the case of Dean William Walcott, a US serviceman who fled to Canada in December 2006 because of his conscientious objection to the war in Iraq. The Canadian authorities intend to deport Dean Walcott to the USA where he risks being court-martialled and jailed for up to five years.

Dean Walcott had come to the conclusion that there were no justifiable reasons for the war after experiencing emotional distress at being personnally involved in the conflict. He found his role morally reprehensible and so he began to investigate ways of relieving himself of his army obligations, including applying for conscientious objector status. US law recognizes the right to conscientious objection only when it takes the form of opposition to war in any form. Other US

soldiers with similar objections to the war in Iraq and who applied for release from their military obligations have been turned down. Dean Walcott was therefore unable to apply for conscientious objector status because his objection was solely to the armed conflict in Iraq.

In view of the above, I urge you Prime Minister to cease any removal or deportation proceedings against Dean Walcott. As you know, Amnesty International would consider him a prisoner of conscience if he were imprisoned on his return to the USA.

I thank you for reading this letter and I trust that you will act on it.

Yours sincerely,