July 21, 2004

• Well, I just recieved another letter from Mr. Fromm, and things aren't looking good for Zundel. It's a shame that justice has to be so dependant upon money. In a land where laws are written in vague terms just so lawyers may have the opportunity to manipulate those laws to suit their purposes, justice belongs to those who can afford the most devious lawyers... and right now, that just ain't us. 

  
  

  ---

  Dear Free Speech Supporter:

  
  

  We're hurtling toward a crisis point in the case of German-born publisher and dissident Ernst Zundel. In a June 23 Order, former Solicitor-General and CSIS boss Mr. Justice Pierre Blais set out a timetable which would see the Zundel national security certificate review concluded by September 14.

  
  

  Cynics who have observed the judge's series of arbitrary rulings, his quashing of four crucial defence subpoenas and his endless chorus of "national security" to restrict the defence believe that the judgement has already been reached. Mr. Justice Blais could find the certificate "reasonable" -- not true that Mr. Zundel is a terrorist, but merely reasonable that the two Liberal ministers wo signed it thought he "might be" -- on September 15. As the judge's decision by law cannot be appealed, Mr. Zundel could be on a plane to Frankfurt and a German jail on September 16.

  
  

  The judge is in a frantic hurry because he wants to pre-empt the Zundel appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. The Crown submissions in the leave to appeal motions need not be in until late August. That leaves just a few weeks for the Supreme Court to decide whether to hear Mr. Zundel's two appeals. At the glacial pace of justice in this Dominion, Mr. Zundel could well be back in Germany by that time.

  
  

  To forestall this judicial frog-marching of the German pacifist out of the country, Zundel defence counsel Peter Lindsay has filed the following motion with the Supreme Court seeking a stay (halt) to the proceedings before Mr. Justice Blais until the Supreme Court can rule on the leave to appeal and on the appeal itself. This motion makes shocking reading as Mr. Lindsay lays out the outrageous and prejudicial treatment meted out to Mr. Zundel in Judge Blais's courtroom.

  
  

  The Crown has until August 10 to make its submissions in this matter. Then, says Chi-Kun Shi, Mr. Lindsay's co-counsel, the Supreme Court "either stops it now or they show they don't give a damn about this atrocity and all these illegal rulings" by Mr. Justice Blais.

  
  

  Huge expenses have been incurred this summer and we face 13 days more of court in July (27), August (9, 10, 11, 12, 30, 31) and September (1, 2, 14, and 15). We urgently need your help and pledge of support today. Please mail us your contribution to:
  CAFE (Zundel Defence Fund)
  Box 332, Rexdale, ON.
  M9W 5L3, Canada.
  Send a cheque or your VISA number and expiry date. You can also e-mail your contribution by VISA.

  
  

  All donors of $100 or more will receive Mr. Zundel's SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: LETTERS FROM CELL #7, which is hot off the press. This incredibly eloquent and moving series of reflections from prison will go down among the great prison literature of our people. If you would simply like a copy of this book, send $20 (postage included) to us or $30 for two copies.

  
  

  Paul Fromm

  
  

  Director Canadian Association for Free Expression
  

  ---

  • 3:37 pm
  • 6 Comments