Front Line Defenders and Amnesty International to observe abuse of process hearing against the RCMP C-IRG
Click here: The Yintah Access link to donate to help support the legal costs of the land defenders challenging RCMP C-IRG violence.
On August 29, a media statement from Amnesty International notes:
“A delegation with representatives from Amnesty International Canada, Amnesty International Germany and Front Line Defenders will attend next week’s hearings, which could find that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) used excessive force against the land defenders during their arrests.
Indigenous land defenders could face jail time or house arrest for rightfully defending the Wet’suwet’en Nation’s territory against the construction of the CGL pipeline.
Next week, a court in Smithers, B.C., will hear arguments into the abuse-of-process complaints of three land defenders arrested in a violent November 2021 police raid on Wet’suwet’en territory: Sleydo’ (also known as Molly Wickham), a Wing Chief (Cas Yikh house) of the Gidimt’en Clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation; Shaylynn Sampson, a Gitxsan woman with Wet’suwet’en family connections; and Corey “Jayohcee” Jocko, who is Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) from Akwesasne.”
Photo by Front Line Defenders.
Photo by Amnesty International Canada.
Their media release continues:
““Like Chief Dsta’hyl, Sleydo’, Shaylynn Sampson and Corey “Jayohcee” Jocko face the prospect of imprisonment or house arrest because Canada refuses to respect their rights and the rights of the Wet’suwet’en Nation,” said Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Americas Director. “If their cases go to sentencing, Amnesty International will not hesitate to consider new prisoner-of-conscience designations and shine more light into Canada’s failures on Indigenous rights.”
In June and July 2022, the B.C. Prosecution Service (BCPS) charged 20 land defenders with criminal contempt for allegedly disobeying an injunction order to stay away from pipeline construction sites. Seven of the 20 land defenders pleaded guilty because of restrictive bail conditions, as well as the familial, psychological and financial impacts that the criminal trial process was having on them. Five others had the charges against them dropped.
Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko, who were found guilty of criminal contempt for violating the injunction, have filed an abuse-of-process application — arguing the RCMP violated their rights during their arrests — that could see their guilty verdicts stayed.”
Photo: Ana Piquer, the Chilean lawyer is the Mexico City-based Americas Director at Amnesty International.
Yintah Access has noted that beyond the week and a half of court hearings that will take place September 3-11 in Smithers, British Columbia, more dates have been set for November 4-8 and December 9-13.
Further reading: Land defenders continue their abuse of process claim against the RCMP C-IRG, September 3-11 (PBI-Canada, August 28, 2024).
Photo: PBI-Canada social media post.
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