Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I think as the Canadian government has held out as a priority for us the protection of a rules-based democratic international order, then we have a responsibility to hold to account those who are engaged in a massive assault on this rules-based international order. As mentioned,

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  My point on this is that indifference and inaction on our part will end up with our coming down on the side of the violator, coming down on the side of the victimizer and not on the side of the targeted victims. We have a responsibility to intervene and protect and secure justice

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  When I was minister of justice back in 2005, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the responsibility to protect doctrine. That doctrine says, simply put, that if in any country we are witnessing war crimes, crimes against humanity and, God forbid, the unthinkable, namely g

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  My response is that genocide obliges us all—internationally, domestically, governments, parliaments, civil societies, and here the Canadian Parliament has a distinguishable role—to call out genocide. It's a responsibility under the genocide convention to both prevent and punish a

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  That is correct.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I want to join my remarks to those of Rayhan and Alex and commend each of them for their tireless advocacy and commitment. We meet at an important moment of remembrance and reminder of bearing witness, as this hearing is doing, and of taking action as both Rayhan and Alex have

Foreign Affairs committee  This is a major issue for the LGBTQ community. The problem is that the members of this community are not recognized as political prisoners. Actually, they themselves are not comfortable seeking that recognition, because the persecution they are already facing could worsen if they

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am very happy to be here and to participate in the common cause that unites us: the pursuit of justice. I'm delighted to be here with representatives of the global coalition to free the Kremlin's political prisoners and the launch of the first-ever landm

Foreign Affairs committee  The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, which I sought to share, and so did the Secretary General, is a state-orchestrated, state-sanctioned humanitarian crisis brought about by the weaponization of both food and medicine, targeting in particular those who they believe are opposed

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. May I begin by expressing appreciation, albeit in his absence, to the Secretary General for his inspired leadership on all these matters that I will be addressing today, and I look forward to his testimony. As you mentioned, I am one of three members of

Foreign Affairs committee  Okay. The seven crimes against humanity, in the order that we have determined, are first the crime against humanity of murder. Simply put, multiple murders have been committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack targeting the civilian population, particularly those wh

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  If I might interject, I may be able to use your question and also answer Ms. Hardcastle's question at the same time. We have to appreciate that we are meeting at a time of a repressive dictatorship in Venezuela and a state of emergency, a fundamental assault on democracy, human

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Just on the specifics of your question, it's important to appreciate that 80% of Venezuelans live in poverty at this point. A million students have had to drop out of school because of hunger. There are skyrocketing rates of infant and maternal mortality. I can go on, but you can

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Just to your point on the Canadian embassy on the ground, just before coming to this meeting here today, we met with the two parliamentary secretaries to the foreign affairs minister, namely, Matt DeCourcey and Omar Alghabra. They're saying that they're keeping a watching brief

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have just one word of comment, if I may. There is one part of Iran Accountability Week that I hope can be sustained. We had the Iranian political prisoner advocacy project, where members of Parliament took up the case and causes of political prisoners,