Tunisian-Canadian Call for Justice and Freedom

Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper
Leader of Opposition, Michael Ignatieff
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lawrence Cannon

WE THE UNDERSIGNED wish to bring to the attention of the Canadian government, the Canadian community as well as the international community the CONCERNS of TUNISIAN-CANADIANS in regards to the current situation in Tunisia, North Africa. We the undersigned are proud of the longstanding bilateral relations between Canada and Tunisia. Four years ago marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and Tunisia. From a relationship that was initially driven by a substantial development assistance program, according to Government of Canada official sources, Canadas relationship NOW revolves around private sector investments, cultural and academic relations, immigration and most importantly political cooperation.

Since December 17, 2010, the people of Tunisia have risen in one voice to say NO to corruption and YES to democracy and freedom of speech. This peoples movement has aided in ousting the corrupted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his wife Leila Trabelsi. Tunisia is facing approximately twenty percent unemployment and a failing economy, this revolutionary movement has paid off when the countrys president Ben Ali fled the country on January 14th to Saudi Arabia. His wife, Leila Trabelsi, left long before the riots got out of hand to the United Emirates, on the same night over thirty of their family members were arrested at the airport by the military. Yet a number of his family members such as Belhassen Trabelsi, who was one of the most corrupted people in the country, as stated by the US ambassador in Tunisia as well as Sakher el Matri, who is the son-in-law to Ben Ali, have managed to plan well ahead their escape, pre-arranging permanent residency in Canada.

Therefore, WE THE UNDERSIGNED would like to bring to the attention of the Canadian government the recent events that have occurred in Tunisia:

1. WE THE SIGNATORIES OF THIS PETITION demand that Canada maintain political cooperation, assisting in civil stability with the government of Tunisia by emphasizing the very Canadian values it purports to promote within the region including but not limited to: Freedom of expression, freedom of media, regional security, guarantee of rights and freedoms, democratic rights, mobility rights and legal rights.


2. WE THE UNDERSIGNED DEMAND that the Government of Canada work with the international community to oversee free and fair elections in the coming months in the establishment of a durable democratic order.


3. WE THE SIGNATORIES OF THIS PETITION emphasize the importance that Canada call upon the Tunisian government to abide by the rules and standards of international law and state of practice to ensure that the inter-parliamentary council reaffirms the universal declaration of human rights and the international covenant on civil and political rights

4. WE THE UNDERSIGNED DEMAND that Canada SUPPORT Amnesty International in its call for IMMEDIATE INDEPENDENT investigations into the unlawful killings and acts of brutality by Tunisian security forces during January 2011 protests


For further details on most recent Tunisian events please use the following links:

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/Permanent+residency+revoked+family/4181118/story.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/tunisia/2011/01/201114142223827361.html
http://www.france24.com/en/20110201-un-says-219-killed-tunisia-violence-0
http://www.amnesty.ca/media2010.php?DocID=330