Free Salim Alaradi Campaign
Urgent Update - February 10, 2016
UAE Prosecution allege Canadian Salim Alaradi participated in revolutionary activities in 2011 but Libya’s Attorney General asserts otherwise
Canadian Citizen Detained in United Arab Emirates for 532 Days
On January 18th 2016 when Canadian citizen Salim Alaradi first found out of the charges he was shocked and pleaded not guilty. As Alaradi counts down the days to the start of his trial on February 15th 2016, his legal team is spending extensive hours reviewing and building his defense. Their analysis has revealed the prosecution has presented no credible evidence of any wrongdoing by the defendants.
Alaradi’s lawyers have informed the family of several contradictions in the prosecution’s file. One such example is the formal charge sheet that states Alaradi supported and financed a Libyan entity called ‘Libya Dawn’ that was established in 2014. However, the prosecution’s file only references activities that Mr Alaradi undertook in 2011, three years before Libya Dawn’s formation and at a time when the Libyan revolution enjoyed widespread support around the world. This is only one example of many arguments that the legal team hopes to raise on February 15th.
The Libyan Attorney General, recognized internationally as the legitimate legal authority in Libya, has issued an affidavit confirming that Alaradi is not subject to any restrictions in Libya and is not wanted by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
The legal team has confirmed that the case against Alaradi and American citizens Kamal and Mohamed Eldarat relates exclusively to events that allegedly took place in Libya. States can exercise jurisdiction over events that take place abroad when it involves their citizens, not applicable in this case, or when the legal authority in the external territory or a legal authority which covers both territories agree. In this case both the Libyan Attorney General and the United Nations, of which both states are members, do not agree with the allegations. Lawyers question the legitimacy of UAE’s decision to prosecute for alleged activities abroad when the country where the activities took place does not recognise any crime committed.
In summary, there are serious errors in the substance of the charges and the evidence that undermine the legitimacy of the trial.
We call on the UAE authorities to discontinue the prosecution and dismiss the charges.
Media
For further details about Salim Alaradi’s situation and the progress of the case in UAE:
Marwa Alaradi, Salim Alaradi’s eldest daughter
E: [email protected]
Paul Champ, Human rights lawyer representing Salim Alaradi
T: (613) 237-2441
E: [email protected]
For further background about this case and related human rights concerns in UAE:
John Tackaberry, Media Officer, Amnesty International Canada
T: (613) 744-7667, extension 236
E: [email protected]
Monia Mazigh, National Coordinator-International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
T: (613) 241-5298
E: [email protected]
Nicholas McGeehan, UAE researcher at Human Rights Watch
E: [email protected]
Drewery Dyke, UAE Researcher at Amnesty International
T: +447535587297
E: [email protected]
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For more details about the case please visit:
Campaign Website http://www.freesalimalaradi.com/
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/freesalimalaradi
Twitter Account https://twitter.com/freesalimaradi
Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/freesalimalaradi
