Alleged synagogue bomber loses bid to delay extradition ruling By Andrew Duffy, The Ottawa Citizen May 26, 2011 12:42 PM OTTAWA A former University of Ottawa professor wanted by the French government in connection with a 1980 terrorist bombing has lost his bid to delay the decision in his extradition case. Hassan Diab had asked Justice Robert Maranger to put his verdict on hold while new evidence from French handwriting experts was developed. But Maranger denied the request Thursday, saying the court had already heard enough handwriting evidence during 46 days of testimony. The extradition case has been before the courts for 2½ years. Maranger said he will deliver his verdict on extradition as planned on June 6. Diabs extradition hinges on the evidence of a French forensic handwriting expert, Anne Bisotti, who found similarities between five words written in a Paris hotel registration book shortly before the bombing and samples of Diabs writing. As part of his defence, Diab presented three expert witnesses, from Canada, the U.S. and the United Kingdom, all of whom sharply criticized the Bisotti report. I find it difficult to conceive of how the French experts will be more critical than the experts who have already testified, Maranger said Thursday in denying the application for a postponement. The tortured history of the extradition hearing it has suffered repeated delays had little bearing on his decision to proceed, Maranger said, since he could not act on any new handwriting evidence brought forward. He has already ruled that it will be up to a French criminal court to decide if the Bisotti report is reliable. Whats more, he said, any assessment of how French courts handle expert evidence must be done by Canadas immigration minister during a later phase in the extradition process. I do not have the jurisdiction to examine the fairness or unfairness of a foreign procedure, he said, but the minister does. Diab wanted to introduce French experts who would speak to the flawed methodology and unreliability of the Bisotti report. He also wanted to use the experts to establish that the French legal system would not allow him to effectively dispute the report in court. Diab, 57, a Lebanese-born Canadian, faces murder and attempted murder charges in France for his alleged role in the bombing of a Parisian synagogue on Oct. 3, 1980. Crown prosecutors allege that Diab was a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine when he helped arrange the synagogue bombing, which killed four people and injured more than 40. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen Read more: <http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Alleged+synagogue+bomber+loses+delay+extr adition+ruling/4843540/story.html#ixzz1NUQVz7vg> http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Alleged+synagogue+bomber+loses+delay+extra dition+ruling/4843540/story.html#ixzz1NUQVz7vg [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [email protected]. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [email protected] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtmlYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
