PRESS RELEASE: Expect Fireworks -- Evidence of Government Dirty Tricks on the Internet at Rights Tribunal Hearing

Where:      Canadian Human Rights Tribunal

Hearing Room #1

                   160 Elgin Street, 11^th Floor

                   Ottawa, Ontario

 

When: March 25, 2008 – 9:30am

 

 

"Expect fireworks, tomorrow," warns Paul Fromm Director of the Canadian Association for Free Expression, "when a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal resumes hearings into a complaint against webmaster Marc Lemire."

 

Two controversial investigators will be back on the witness stand after the Commission, facing an appeal in Federal Court in January, withdrew a little used provision of the Canada Evidence Act, Sec. 37, which prevents the divulging of information likely to endanger a person's life or national security.

 

"We now know these objections were bogus and an example of the Commission's culture of secrecy," says respondent Marc Lemire. "Last week for the second time in a year, the Commission sought to exclude the press and public from hearings where Commission employees are testifying."

 

"We now have evidence which we want them to admit to under oath, that Commission 'investigators' have adopted false identities, pretended to be 'racists' and signed up under phony names, even before a complaint is filed," adds Fromm whose organization is an "interested party" intervening on Mr. Lemire's behalf.

 

Ottawa lawyer Richard Warman who has filed over 25 complaints with the organization he once worked for as an "investigator" himself uses phony names while trolling controversial sites on the Internet and has signed some of his posts "Heil Hitler."

 

"What we've uncovered," says Mr. Lemire, “is a Commission out of control.” They use complainants like Mr. Warman, a former employee, with an admitted personal political agenda of "maximum disruption" of his political opponents. They use an admitted communist who stole a young woman's Internet photos and then passed himself off as this woman. There's a wholesale Commission campaign of dirty tricks against Canadian Internet users," he warns.

 

Mr. Lemire has launched a challenge against the constitutionality of Section 13, the Internet censorship, section of the Canadian Human Rights Act. "Section 13 has to go," he says. "Either we get the Courts to rule it a total violation of the Charter guarantees of freedom of speech or Parliament should repeal Section 13," Lemire explains. Indeed, Keith Martin a Liberal MP from British Columbia, has recently introduced M-446, a private member's bill to repeal Section 13.

 

 Mr. Lemire notes that:

 

·        Under Section 13, over the 30 year history of the Act, no victim has ever been acquitted

 

·        Section 13 makes not just statements "likely to expose" privileged minorities to "hate" but also to "contempt" an offence. The Tribunal rulings show that any criticism of these minorities is considered "contempt."

 

·        Tribunal "members" or judges are not chosen for their balance of objectivity but for their bias. Indeed, they must have a special interest and experience in group rights as opposed to individual rights. And it's the victim's right to freedom of expression that is on the line in these cases.

 

·        Dean Steacy the lead Commission investigator who will be examined again on Tuesday, has already testified that he gives no weight to freedom of expression as "it is an American concept"

 

·        A recent ruling by Athanasios Hadjis who is presiding over the Lemire case, ruled that posting certain Scriptures from the Bible on the Internet was an offence because they might expose homosexuals to hatred or contempt.

 

 

 

-- 30 –

 

All the evidence to be used on March 25 hearing is online:

http://www.freedomsite.org/march25-08

 

A live blog of the hearing will be available at:  http://blog.freedomsite.org

 

Constitutional Challenge of Section 13: http://www.stopsection13.com

 

 

 

 

Issues before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal

 

CHRC using the account “Jadewarr” on the White Nationalist website www.Stormfront.org and FreeDominion website	The CHRC stopped all questioning of this infiltration account.  “Jadewarr” was used to engage Marc Lemire and others online. This is part of a larger scheme, with the Edmonton Police hate crimes unit posting outright discriminatory messages on Stormfront.org using the name “Estate”. Evidence before the Tribunal shows “Jadewarr” was Senior investigator Dean Steacy.
The relationship between the CHRC and Police	The CHRC has been trying to elevate itself to a police agency.  They only have statue remedial powers, but through a series of police agreements they have access to highly secured police databases such as CPIC. As well Motor Vehicle records, phone records, police powers of search and seizure.  We want to know the extent of the relationship and how its been used
The CHRC silencing critics during the Same-Sex Marriage debate	In 2003-2004 the CHRC had filed 5-6 complaints against users on AOL Online, who were critical of homosexuality and opposed to same-sex marriage.  We want to know the names of the respondents and what effect the CHRC had in prosecuting only critics of same-sex marriage
The CHRC’s investigative techniques	Throughout the course of Marc Lemire’s hearing, it has become clear the CHRC has used shady tactics to go after those they don’t like.  This includes using tools to reveal the identity of online users, such as WHOIS and Visual Route.  We want to know how they used those tools and why

 

 

All the evidence to be used on March 25 hearing is online:

http://www.freedomsite.org/march25-08

 

 

 

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Active and Past cases: 46  |  Cases the tribunal ruled on: 37   ·         NOT A SINGLE respondent have ever won a section 13 case ·         98% of cases have poor or working class respondents ·         90.7% of respondents are not represented by lawyers ·         $99,000 has been awarded in fines and special compensation since 2003. ·         35 respondents have lifetime speech bans (Cease and Desist) orders and if not followed the victims could face up to 5 years in prison.

 

 

Groups and Writers that Support Repeal of Section 13: http://www.stopsection13.com/repeal_sec13.html

 

Liberal MP Keith Martin Liberal MP Dan McTeague Ezra Levant Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Rex Murphy) Catholic Insight Magazine Catholic Register Halifax Chronicle Herald (Paul Schneidereit) Victoria News

PEN Canada CDN Association of Journalists Mary Steyn (Macleans Magazine) Calgary Herald Western Standard Magazine London Free Press B'nai Brith Jewish Tribune Sask Leader-Post Deborah Gyapong Calgary AM770

Globe and Mail National Post David Warren (Ottawa Citizen) Eye Magazine (Toronto) Toronto Star Toronto Sun Interim Magazine Sault Ste. Marie – SooToday Winnipeg Free Press Oak Bay News