For Immediate Release
Toronto, November 14, 2001 … B’nai Brith Canada today welcomed the initiative of the Government of Canada in launching proceedings against Michael Seifert, but expressed dismay that the government has chosen to proceed by way of revocation of citizenship rather than extradition. Italy made an extradition request two years ago and the Government of Canada has given no reason why this extradition request was not immediately implemented.
Rochelle Wilner, National President of B’nai Brith Canada, stated: “Revocation of citizenship is time consuming and unnecessary and the Canadian government should move immediately to extradition. The procedures that the government have chosen are unnecessarily drawn out — extradition is quicker and more relevant. Most important of all, revocation proceedings do not lead to removal but require subsequent deportation proceedings. Many of the individuals subject to these dual proceedings in Canada on the basis of war criminality have died of old age pending such proceedings.”
Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President, commented: “Revocation forces the government to focus on a side issue, that is, whether Seifert obtained citizenship by fraud, false representation or knowingly concealing material circumstances. Extradition proceedings, on the other hand, would require a focus on what is the substantive issue, that is, whether or not Seifert participated in war crimes or crimes against humanity, which has already been proved by an Italian court.”
David Matas, B’nai Brith Canada’s Senior Legal Counsel, stated: “This case has echoes of Jacob Luitjens. Luitjens was a Dutch war criminal convicted in absentia for whom Holland requested extradition. Canada refused the extradition request and instead, in 1989, proceeded to revocation of citizenship. Luitjens was in Canada for almost four years litigating his case. At the end of the day, Canada was able to remove Luitjens to Holland only because he abandoned litigation that would have kept him here even longer. Why is the government choosing such a circuitous route when responding to extradition obligations? If there is some defect in the Canada-Italy extradition treaty that limits Canada’s freedom of action in this case, B’nai Brith Canada calls on the government to amend it forthwith.”
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For further comment contact: David Matas at (204) 944-1831
B’nai Brith has been active in Canada since 1875 as the community’s senior human rights organization.
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