Jaggi Singh is being held without bail in a Quebec prison for what appears to us to be political reasons.

The most serious charge against Jaggi Singh is possession of a weapon - a 7.6-metre catapult that hurled teddy bears. Evidence during the bail hearing, which the judge himself called credible, showed that the catapult was a theatre prop, not a weapon, and that Mr. Singh had nothing to do with it. The people who did build and use the catapult have come forward and taken responsibility for it.

Why is the Crown continuing to use the weapons charge against Mr. Singh?

The judge used the argument that Jaggi Singh violated outstanding bail conditions relating to an offence that remains untried. The condition required Mr. Singh to leave a protest as soon as it turns violent.

Does violation of bail conditions on a minor charge justify imprisoning Jaggi Singh without bail?

The judge has now ruled that Jaggi Singh at least be kept in jail until his trial, which could be as long as three months away. There was no evidence presented at the bail hearing that Mr. Singh committed any violent acts.

Why is Jaggi Singh the sole person who was arrested during the protests who is still in jail?

Keeping someone in jail without bail pending a trial is usually reserved for the most dangerous offenders.

Why does the Crown believe that Jaggi Singh, who has never been convicted of any violent offense, is dangerous enough to be kept in prison?

We the undersigned demand answers to these questions. We fear that Jaggi Singh is being held behind bars for political rather than criminal reasons. Until we receive satisfactory answers to our questions, we can only assume that the imprisonment of Jaggi Singh is a serious breach of civil liberties that threatens freedom of political expression.

We demand an immediate judicial review of the bail decision in the case of Jaggi Singh, so that these and other questions can be answered and the presumption of innocence - central to our Constitution - can be maintained.

Page one of two: Free Jaggi Singh ...
... page two of two: Free Jaggi Singh

Signed,

Michael Albert, Z Magazine
Tariq Ali, playwright and novelist, London England
Warren Allmand, president, Rights and Democracy,
former Solicitor General of Canada
Maude Barlow, chairperson, Council of Canadians
Walden Bello, director, Focus on the Global South
Elaine Bernard, executive director, Harvard University Trade Union Program
Ed Broadbent, former leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada
Terry Brown, president, National Action Committee on the Status of Women
Noam Chomsky, linguist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michael Conlon, national charperson, Canadian Federation of Students
Anna Dashtgard, anti-globalization activist
Judy Darcy, national president, Canadian Union of Public Employees
Francoise Davide, president, Quebec Women's Federation
Libby Davis, Member of Parliament
Philippe Duhamel, for Opération SalAMI
Barbara Ehrenreich, writer
Ken Georgetti, president, Canadian Labour Congress
Lorraine Guay, for the Convergence Table Q2001
Robert Jasmin, president, ATTAC-Quebec
Naomi Klein, writer
David Korten, People-Centred Development Forum
Regine Laurent, executive committee, Nurses Federation of Quebec
Stephen Lewis, former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations
Alexa McDonough, leader, New Democratic Party of Canada
Madeleine Parent, feminist and labour activist
Judy Rebick, publisher, rabble.ca
Monique Richard, president, Confederation of Quebec Unions
Charley Roach, civil rights activist
Kiké Roach, lawyer
Svend Robinson, Member of Parliament
Clayton Ruby, lawyer
Arthur Sanborn, president, Montreal Central Council of the Confederation of National Unions
John Sewell, former mayor of Toronto
Monique Simard, film producer, social activist
David Suzuki, scientist and activist
Bob White, former president of the Canadian Labour Congress

For more information contact:
Judy Rebick (416) 994-1053
Lorraine Guay (514) 343-6111 ext. 3763 or
(514) 278-1167

a press release from rabble.ca

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