AI Chief blasts Canada over human rights
CANADA: Amnesty International’s new secretary general, Salil Shetty,
Monday accused the Canadian government of a “serious worsening” of human
rights in Canada.
“Amnesty International is more and more concerned about the serious
worsening of the human rights approach of this government,” Shetty said
in a speech to the CIVICUS world assembly on citizen participation.
“There is a real shrinking of democratic spaces in this country...
Many organizations have lost their funding for raising inconvenient
questions,” he added.
“You expect more from Canadians... I think there is a growing gap
between the values and the track record of Canada historically and the
actions of the current government, which is deeply concerning.”
Shetty also pressed Ottawa to seek the repatriation of Canadian Omar
Khadr, the last Westerner to be held at the US naval base in Guantamo
Bay, Cuba.
Khadr was 15 when he was arrested for lobbing a hand grenade that
killed a US sergeant during a 2002 attack in Afghanistan. His trial by a
US military commission began this month.
Montreal, Tuesday, AFP
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