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Canadian jailed in Saudi Arabia seeks inquiry
A Canadian jailed for 31 months in Saudi Arabia says an inquiry is needed to investigate why Ottawa considered him guilty and stood idle as he was tortured. Weâd like to know as well. William Sampson told the Commons foreign affairs committee Thursday that even before going to trial, the Foreign Affairs Department did not believe in his innocence. Sampson says he was tortured by his captors even after he suffered a heart attack. "I was tortured, forced to confess to crimes I didnât commit, sentenced to death," he told MPs. "Whilst I was in prison, my case was being handled by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Canada and by the embassy officials who were members of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh. "Throughout my incarceration, I considered that the activities of the embassy officials at the Riyadh embassy fell well short of anything that could be considered supportive. "Their behaviour and treatment of my family, my father in particular when he visited Saudi Arabia, was thoroughly inadequate. And certainly the handling by Department of Foreign Affairs officials here in Canada of my family during this rather difficult situation for us, was again, less than adequate." Sampson was jailed for his alleged involvement in two car bombings, which killed one person. The "alk runner" bombings. Sampson told MPs that only a visit by Bloc MP Stephane Bergeron and Liberal Dan McTeague got the department to take an interest. Visits by high ranking politicians tend to do that. Sampson was originally sentenced to death and later freed by Saudi Arabia. He says he lost teeth during his torture and has had four heart operations since being freed. Posted by: Steve 2003-11-06 |
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