Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on behalf of one of the great defenders of democracy, Egyptian Professor Saad Eddin Ibrahim, and in association with the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, based in my constituency, and at whose request I have been serving as counsel to Professor Ibrahim.
Simply put, Dr. Ibrahim was charged, convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison for doing nothing other than being a democracy advocate. Indeed, the prosecution and conviction itself violated Dr. Ibrahim's fundamental rights to a fair trial, including: the presumption of innocence; protection against arbitrary arrest and detention; access to legal counsel; the right to a full answer and reply; the right to a fair hearing before an independent judiciary; and the right to equal protection of the laws, and the like.
To its credit, the Egyptian Cour de Cassation has ordered a new trial on January 7 in what is one of the world's most important human rights cases today.
This case is a dramatic case study of the proverbial canary in the mine shaft of the Mideast's budding democracy movements. It deserves the support of Canada and all those who work for the rule of law, the protection of human rights and the pursuit of democracy.