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CANADA INVESTIGATES REPORTS
THAT WILLIAM SAMPSON
PHYSICALLY ABUSED IN SAUDI PRISON
May 28, 2001 (3:35 p.m. EDT) No. 70
John Manley, Minister of
Foreign Affairs, today announced that the Department of Foreign Affairs
and International Trade
has been actively investigating reports that Canadian prisoner William
Sampson may have been physically
abused in a Saudi prison.
Following reports from departmental
officials at the Canadian embassy in Riyadh, Mr. Manley called
in the Saudi Ambassador
to Canada on May 24 to express shock at the allegations that Mr.
Sampson's rights were being
violated. He also asked the Ambassador to ensure that Mr. Sampson
be provided with daily consular
access, that he be examined by a medical professional designated by
Canada, that he be allowed
to discuss his condition and situation openly, and that the incident be
fully investigated by Saudi
authorities, with the results provided to Canadian officials.
"Saudi officials have responded
favourably to my requests and Mr. Sampson was examined by a
Canadian-designated medical
professional today in the presence of the Canadian ambassador," said
Mr. Manley. "We have informed
Saudi officials that we hold them responsible for Mr. Sampson's
safety and that we expect
him to be treated in accordance with international standards for prisoners
set out in the Geneva Convention.
We will continue to pursue this case with senior Saudi authorities
until we have satisfactory
answers."
Mr. Manley noted that Mr.
Sampson and his family have specifically requested that the results of
his
medical examination not
be released.
The Minister also noted that
the Canadian embassy in Riyadh had raised this matter with the Saudi
Deputy Minister of the Interior
and would be following up on the incident with him and other senior
Saudi officials.
Mr. Sampson has been detained
by Saudi officials since mid-December 2000 on suspicion of being
involved in two separate
bombings that took place on November 17 and 22 in Riyadh. These
bombings resulted in the
death of a British citizen and the injury of four other foreign nationals.
Mr.
Sampson's case is still
under investigation by Saudi officials who have yet to lay any formal charges
and set a trial date.
Minister Manley underscored
that Canada had been diligent in seeking justice for Mr. Sampson and
providing him with consular
assistance. The Minister noted that he had raised Mr. Sampson's case
with the Saudi Ambassador
to Canada on April 4 and that the Canadian Ambassador to Saudi
Arabia had met with the
Saudi Minister and Deputy Minister of the Interior, on several occasions,
to
discuss consular access,
legal representation and Mr. Sampson's health. In addition, Canadian
consular officials in Riyadh
have visited Mr. Sampson on eight separate occasions since his arrest,
and facilitated meetings
between the prisoner and his father.
"We have impressed on Saudi
authorities, both here and in Riyadh, the need to respect international
norms concerning the treatment
of detainees, consular access, rules of evidence and the conduct of
trials, and will continue
to do so," said Mr. Manley.
Tony Macerollo
Executive Assistant
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
The Above information was provided by The Government of Canada
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