Mr. Speaker, I am tabling petition E-1646.
The petitioners are speaking out against the fact that Toufik Benhamiche, a Canadian citizen and resident of Mascouche, has been held in detention in Cuba since July 7, 2017, because he was unfairly convicted and sentenced to four years in prison without parole for manslaughter. Despite the fact that the People's Supreme Court of Cuba overturned all of the criminal convictions and recognized that Mr. Benhamiche was the victim of a tainted judicial process on April 30, 2018, Cuban authorities are still refusing to allow Mr. Benhamiche to leave the country. Canadian consular authorities have not made any requests to this effect.
This petition, which is signed by 1,636 Canadians, calls on the Minister of Foreign Affairs to take the necessary steps to ensure that Mr. Benhamiche receives impartial, fair and equitable treatment and is returned to Canada as soon as possible.