We are writing this letter to express our outrage and condemnation that the Government of Canada has decided to expel Mr. Djaber Kalibi, a well-known social and political activist, writer and an advocate against the repressive regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran, despite the fact that he has been living and working in Canada for about eight years.
August 28, 2013
Mr. Chris Alexander, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1
Sent via: [email protected] / [email protected]
Re: Protest against the decision of the Government of Canada to expel Djaber Kalibi
Greetings,
We are writing this letter to express our outrage and condemnation that the Government of Canada has decided to expel Mr. Djaber Kalibi, a well-known social and political activist, writer and an advocate against the repressive regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran, despite the fact that he has been living and working in Canada for about eight years.
Djaber Kalibi, who is an opponent of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has been, like millions of the Iranian Diaspora, living in exile. After 22 years of living in France, Djaber and his wife and their two daughters moved to Canada where they have been living in Quebec for eight years. All these years, similar to many other Iranian political activists, he has been living legally in Caanda while simultaneously promoting progressive changes for the Iranian people and against the Islamic Regime of Iran.
According to information provided by Mr. Kalibi, in its decision to expel Djaber, the government of Canada has referred to the proceedings ensued in 1986 in France, where Djaber and three others were arrested for “organizing to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran”. There is evidence that after completing his sentence, Djaber was released and later the government of France granted him a passport. Therefore, given the above evidence and also the fact that Mr. Kalibi has been living lawfully in Canada for about 8 years without any security concerns, we find your decision unacceptable. Forcing Djaber Kalibi to leave Canada is unjustifiable; thus, we are seriously concerned that this decision on the part of the Canadian government might be politically motivated, which will please the repressive Islamic Republic of Iran and its collaborators. Political activists must not be used as scapegoats for foreign relations policy of governments.
Therefore, we, the undersigned call on the Canadian government authorities to revoke any removal order or actions against Djaber Kalibi and grant him legal status to stay in Canada along with his wife and two daughters as a Permanent Resident.
Thank you.
International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran – Canada Branch
International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran – France Branch