Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development

Sous-comité des droits internationaux de la personne du Comité permanent des affaires étrangères et du développement international

For immediate release

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NEWS RELEASE

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The case of Huseyin Celil

Ottawa, June 17, 2015 -

The Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development today adopted a motion about the case of Huseyin Celil. The motion reads as follows:

Whereas the House adopted a unanimous motion on May 2, 2007, about the case of Huseyin Celil;

Whereas Huseyin Celil is a Canadian citizen who was travelling in Uzbekistan on a Canadian passport in March 2006 when he was arrested, extradited to China, and convicted on trumped-on charges;

Whereas the Chinese government continues to refuse to recognize Mr. Celil’s Canadian citizenship;

Whereas the Chinese government continues to refuse Canadian officials consular access to Mr. Celil, contrary to the 1999 Canada-China consular agreement;

Whereas there are serious allegations that Mr. Celil has been mistreated and possibly subjected to torture while in Chinese custody, which would constitute a serious breach of the UN Convention against Torture, to which both Canada and China are parties;

That the Subcommittee:

Call upon the government of China to allow Canadian consular access to Huseyin Celil, and to ensure that Mr. Celil’s rights are respected;

Call upon the government of Uzbekistan to explain why it extradited Mr. Celil to China instead of Canada, when he had been travelling on a Canadian passport;

Call upon the Government of Canada to use all diplomatic means to assure that Mr. Celil’s rights are fully protected, that he be released from prison, and that he be reunited with his family in Canada.

Ask the Government of Canada to provide as much information as possible to Mr. Celil’s wife, Kamila Telendibaeva, about her husband’s situation.

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For more information, please contact: Mike MacPherson, Clerk of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development Tel: 613-995-8525 E-mail: SDIR@parl.gc.ca