Edmonton MP to question refusal to transfer Canadian from Cuban prison
Published on Aug 30, 2007
On Aug. 9, Perry King reapplied to be transferred to Canada under the International Transfer of Offenders Act after Day rejected an earlier request in June.
“The offender was convicted of sexual offences involving children,” Day said in a letter to King. “Based on the nature of these offences there is concern the offender’s return to Canada would constitute a threat to the security of Canada.”
Rajotte said today he has committed to himself to speaking with Day personally to find out why he has taken that position.
“I don’t know why he is responding that way, which is why I want to talk to him personally,” said the Edmonton-Leduc MP. “From what I see they have a valid point. They presented their argument very well, and I said I owed it to them to talk to the minister about this.”
Rajotte stopped short of saying he disagreed with Day.
King’s mother, Pearl, said the family hopes to drum up enough support among Edmonton-area Conservative MPs and the public to make Day reconsider. The Kings are scheduled to meet with Edmonton Centre MP Laurie Hawn next month.
King, 44, has strenuously maintained his innocence. He has served almost five years of a 15-year sentence after being convicted of having sex with two girls, ages 15 and 16. King spent years launching appeals, but succeeded only in getting his sentence reduced from 25 years to 15.
While King was making his appeals, the newly elected Conservative government launched its get-tough-on-crime agenda, thereby reducing the chances that many Canadians convicted in foreign countries would be transferred from Third World lockups to more comfortable Canadian prisons.
Canadians imprisoned in foreign countries are allowed to apply for a transfer, and usually receive it if the country that has them in custody is agreeable. They then serve the remainder of their sentences in Canada and are eligible for Canadian parole.
Jeff Campbell, Corrections Canada spokesman for the prairies, said it takes six to nine months to process a transfer application. He refused to comment directly on King's application because of the privacy law. After his appeals ran out last fall, King applied for a transfer. He had to sign papers that amounted to an admission of guilt, something he was loath to do.
Last November, Day personally wrote to King’s parents, acknowledging he had received the application. In June, King received notice that the minister had turned down his request. Day’s office referred to a clause in the act that allows Canada to keep out security threats.
Canada has allowed prisoners exchanges since 1978, but in the past year under Day, the number of transfers has plunged from 90 to 53, while the number of people applying for transfers hasn’t dropped.
Pearl King is also appealing to the public to sign a petition she has created at www.gopetition.com. So far, 562 people have signed it.
Click here to see the related petition.
Source: Florence Loyie, edmontonjournal.com