March 25, 2009

War Resister, Kim Rivera, and family granted an emergency stay of removal

We have been given a brief moment to breathe and celebrate.

I don't have any specifics yet, but we got the word that Kim will not be deported tomorrow. 

Federal Court Justice James Russell found, as lawyer Alyssa Manning argued, that the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment Officer who reviewed Kim's file did not take into account differential treatment being given to war resisters who speak out against the Iraq War. 

I'm sharing this incomplete information for those who were on the edge of their seats so they might sleep tonight.

(I suggest you check with We Move To Canada or War Resister Support Campaign for more information later tonight or tomorrow. If you can help, please donate to help pay for the legal costs.)

Also, according to Laura of We Move To Canada, there was supposed to be a press conference in Ottawa today featuring Liberal MP Gerard Kennedy, Liberal Immigration Critic Maurizio Bevilacqua, NDP Immigration Critic Olivia Chow, Bloc Québécois Immigration Critic Thierry St-Cyr, war resister Kim Rivera, and war resister Phil McDowell. Gerard Kennedy was to announce a private member's bill to stop all deportation proceedings against US war resisters in Canada, and to let them stay. All three opposition parties support the bill.

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