[antiwar-van] WAYS TO SUPPORT THE HUNGER STRIKE

[No One is Illegal-Vancouver]

* please post widely *

* see noii-van.resist.ca for frequent updates*


HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUING IN FRONT OF IMMIGRATION CANADA OFFICES
Friday Jan 7 midnight

Members of Iranian Federation of Refugees, friends and families of
refugees facing deportation, and supporters from No One is Illegal have
been maintaining a hunger strike outside CIC offices (300 West Georgia)
since noon on Friday.

Overnight, approximately 20 refugees, family members (including elderly
parents), and supporters will be remaining outside CIC offices in subzero
temparatures with minimal tents and blankets.

Ali Reza Mozemi was called into CIC offices today at 9 am, only to receive
a deportation order for Tuesday Jan 11. When Ali attempted to request for
more time from his enforcement officer, he was swiftly handcuffed and
detained by officials, without even a goodbye from his family, who are all
Canadian citizens and who may never see him before his deportation to
Iran.

The hunger strike follows a campaign against increasing numbers of
deportations to Iran that has a well-documented record of human rights
violations, particularly against political dissidents. Immigration Canada
in the past has claimed that they have no evidence of any danger upon
anyone who was deported from Canada, but the recent highly-publicized case
of Haleh Sahba (deported from Vancouver exactly one month ago on Dec 7)
has proven otherwise.

It is time to take a stand against Immigration Canada’s racist treatment of
immigrants and refugees and to show tangible support for those resisting.


WAYS TO SUPPORT:

==> Endorse the public statement and demands set forth by the Iranian
Federation of Refugees and Coalition to Defend Iranian Refugees from
Deportation (see the public statement below). Please email or call with
your crucial endorsements at the contacts below.

==> Come support the hunger strike during the weekend

==> Blankets, tents, financial donations, coffee, photocopying resources,
calling cards, material to read (esp. newspapers.

==> Ali's detention review is on Monday. A rally to support his family
will be held @ noon on Monday Jan 10 at 300 West Georgia CIC offices.

Call 778-552-2099 or 778-885-0040 for more information
The website noii-van.resist.ca will be updated frequently.

In struggle.
No One is Illegal Vancouver
noii-van at resist.ca
noii-van.resist.ca

=====================================================

PUBLIC STATEMENT ON THE HUNGER STRIKE

STOP UNJUST DEPORTATIONS TO IRAN

Mr Ali Reza Monemi received a deportation order on January 7, 2005 back to
Iran on Tuesday January 11. He pleaded with Immigration officials to
receive more time to arrange his affairs before his deportation but his
request was refused and he was promptly detained. Mr. Ali, like many other
Iranian refugees, is facing deportation to a country despite grave danger
to his life. According to medical reports, Mr Monemi has already suffered
sixty lashes at the hand of the Morality Police and he has been sentenced
to 85 more lashings, imprisonment and excommunication within Iran. He also
faces the possibility of death for fleeing the country in 1999 before his
punishment could be carried out and for making a refugee claim in Canada.

Immigration Canada in the past has claimed that they have no evidence of
any danger inflicted upon anyone who was deported to Iran, but the recent
highly-publicized case of Haleh Sahba (a womens rights activist deported
from Vancouver exactly one month ago on Dec 7) has proven otherwise. It
has been widely reported that Haleh was detained for 26 hours. Like Haleh
Sahba, Ali is being sent back to Iran without adequate travel documents.

On November 5, 2004 Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew announced
that Canada tabled a resolution at the 59th session of the UN General
Assembly, on the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran and the
Canadian government maintains a travel advisory to Iran for Canadians.
Meanwhile, Immigration Canada is sending Iranians back to serious danger

With new immigration and security laws introduced after 9-11, the
regressive nature of Canada's immigrant and security laws have increased.
New laws and policy changes are transforming Canada and the US into
Fortress North America. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act has
made it more difficult to obtain status in Canada -- whether as an
immigrant or refugee -- while making detentions and deportations easier.
The"safe third country" agreement, implemented on December 29, 2004, will
allow the immediate removal of any refugee claimant who enters Canada via
the United States. This accounts for up to 40% of all refugee claimants.
The Anti-Terrorism Act provides unprecedented powers to police and
government officials, including detention without trial and secret
evidence. Instead of providing a fair hearing to refugee claimants, the
IRB acts as a confrontational tribunal, populated by judges notorious and
even charged for their incompetence, political partisanship, and in many
cases, corruption.

Moreover, the new refugee determination system has no appeal process for a
rejected claim, although Minister Coderre promised that the Refugee Appeal
Division would be implemented in Canada by June 2003.  Meanwhile, all the
other avenues such as the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment process are deeply
flawed, as statistically over 95% of refugees are unable to obtain a
positive PRRA decision and refugees are allowed to be deported while still
waiting for a decision on a pending Humanitarian and Compassionate claim.

WE DEMAND THAT:

1) Canada implement the Refugee Appeal Division as promised; and
accordingly, re-open all previously refused cases, including for those
underground with no legal status, and allow them a fair and full
merit-based appeal.
2) Canada implements a moratorium on deportations to Iran, as consistent
with Canada’s own foreign policy that recognizes Iran as an unsafe
country.
3) The release of refugees being detained.

Iranian Federation of Refugees
Coalition to Defend Iranian Refugees from Deportation
No One is Illegal-Vancouver