ZGram - 5/23/2003 - "On the cusp of an organized Ernst Zundel Defense"

[zgrams at zgrams.zundelsite.org]

ZGram - Where Truth is Destiny:  Now more than ever!

May 23, 2003

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:

We are now on the cusp of an organized defense for Ernst Zundel. 
Yesterday, the protest picketing in front of the Canadian Embassy in 
Los Angeles went well, according to Mark Weber of the IHR.  Since the 
protest was kept quiet until just the day before to prevent the 
street rabble, all too often unleashed on us by our enemies, from 
being mobilized, only 10 people showed up, but the Consul came out to 
greet the demonstrators and accepted a formal complaint and request 
on behalf of Ernst Zundel.  Later in the day, I expect to have a 
fuller report from Mark Weber for our archives.

The Seattle protest, unfortunately, seems to have fizzled out.  I was 
told that the wrong email list was mistakenly used to rally 
demonstrators, and only four people showed up.  However, just to show 
you how closely every one of our moves are followed, there were 
"...about six uniformed cops, half-a-dozen plainclothesmen, and one 
or two spooky-looking dudes in civvies."  The young people in Seattle 
are inexperienced with this sort of thing, and clearly our enemies 
are more on their toes than many of us are.  There is a lot to learn.

However, this is only the beginning.  Just now I received a copy of a 
formal letter sent by the Friends of Freedom of Speech to the 
Canadian Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, protesting the inhuman 
and degrading treatment of Ernst Zundel.  There will be more, and we 
will not let up. 

Meanwhile, Paul Fromm of the Canadian Association for Free Expression 
sent the following letter to Mike Richard of the Metro West Detention 
Centre, with a copy to Bob Runciman, Minister of Public Safety and 
Security: 

[START]

Canadian Association for Free Expression
Box 332,
Rexdale, Ontario, M9W 5L3
Ph: 905-897-7221; FAX: 905-277-3914

Paul Fromm, B.Ed, M.A. Director

May 22, 2003

Mr. Mike Richard,
Security Director,
Metro West Detention Centre,
111 Disco Road,
Rexdale, Ontario, M9W 1M3    BY FAX 416-674-7515

Dear Mr. Richard:

	As you know, I visited Ernst Zundel yesterday as his legal 
representative.
Quite frankly, what I was told and what I observed is most disturbing.

	Some weeks ago, I spoke on Mr. Zundel's behalf to Mr. Chris 
Burtchall of
the Ministry of  Public Safety and Security in the North Bay office. He
assured me that your Ministry abides by the United Nations' standards for
the treatment of prisoners and exceeds them.

	I took that as a serious promise from an honourable public 
servant. Thus,
I find the conditions that political prisoner Ernst Zundel must endure
appalling and unacceptable.

	I was informed by Staff Supervisor Verrinder when I visited 
the Detention
Centre on Sunday, May 18, that Mr. Zundel is a "special" prisoner. Indeed,
he is. He is accused or no crime; he is chargd with no crime. He is
incarcerated solely for his political views; he is, in a word, a political
prisoner. He is a nature man -- 64 years of age. He has been a very
successful graphic artist and businessman. He has no history of violence,
either against himself or others. He is a pacifist. The CSIS report
submitted as part of the Crown's case in the current proceedings in Federal
Court against Mr. Zundel concedes that "ZUNDEL has virtually no history of
direct personal engagement in acts of serious violence." (p.2)

	Unlike many of those in your institution, Mr. Zundel is not violent.

	I ask that he be treated in a manner appropriate to his age 
and station in
life.

	1. I was appalled to learn that Mr. Zundel's soap, towel and toothbrush
are kept on the floor outside his cell and that he must ask a guard for
them. If he goes to the toilet, he must ask for soap and towel and wait for
a guard to bring them to him. Such delays are unsanitary. Keeping his
toothbrush in the hall is also  unsanitary. I request that he be allowed to
keep his toiletries in his cell.

	2. Mr. Zundel was grizzled and unshaven when I saw him. He 
explained that
he'd asked for a razor each day and had been told: "Maybe, tomorrow." Such
treatment is petty and degrading.A man has a right to keep himself properly
groomed. I ask that Mr. Zundel be granted use of a razor each day.

	3. A prisoner should have reasonable opportunity to 
communicate with the
outside world. Mr. Zundel reported that he'd been able to make only one
call out since he arrived Friday evening. He had asked on a number of
occasions to make a phone call and was informed: "Maybe tomorrow." I
request that he be granted more regular phone calls.

	4. Mr. Zundel is in the midst of preparing for a number of 
complex legsl
cases: two simultaneous cases before the Federal Court; an appeal of an
Immigration and Refugee Board decision that he has lost his landed
immigrant status; an ongoing matter with the Canadian Human Rights
Commission; complex U.S. immigration matters. He needs his legal documents
in his cell -- not loose in the hall outside his cell. I brought five
volumes of documents relating to his case in Federal Court. These
co-ordinate with two CSIS reports. You indicated that he could have these
one at a time. Because the CSIS reports make reference to all the volumes,
and in no particular order he needs ready access to them all at once. He
also needs the use of a pen and coloured highlighters and sticky notes for
marking pages. You indicated that some of these might be available at the
canteen but that orders go in just once a week. Mr. Zundel knew nothing
about the procedures for ordering through the canteen. I ask that these
supplies be provided or let me provide them for him.

	5. Mr. Zundel has not received a copy of the statement of prsioner's
rights which Mr. Burtchall assured me exists in each prison. I, too, would
like a copy as it is hard to offer legal advice, if one doesn't know the
rulebook.

	6. Mr. Zundel was not informed that he must provide a list of visitors
that he wishes to see. I passed on your instructions that this was
necessary and told him to draft such a list.

	7. Mr. Zundel has asked repeatedly for request forms, which, it is his
understanding, are necessary to communicate with the prison administration.
As of Wednesday noon, these forms had not been provided to him. I request
that they be given to him immediately. Surely, he has a right to
communicate concerns or requests to his gaolors.

	8. Mr. Zundel has asked for his Inmate Classification. As of Wednesday
noon, he had not received this either. I request that this be provided to
him immediately.

	9. I would like an assurance that Mr. Zundel will be able to have
newspapers and books and religious tracts.

	10. Finally, I request direct access to Mr. Zundel, not 
divided by glass.
There are complicated legal documents that we must go over that require
being able to sit side by side.

	No one expects a prison to be a country club. Being incarcerated means
that freedoms and privacy that even the poorest of us takes for granted are
denied to the prisoner. However, being in jail should not mean the loss of
all dignity or the ability to work to prepare an adequate legal defence.

	It is in this spirit that I make these requests.


						Sincerely yours,


						Paul Fromm
						Legal Representative 
to Ernst Zundel

cc: Hon. Bob Runciman, Minister of Public Safety and Security

[END]

Later in the day, there will be more.  I am preparing another list 
with instructions on how to reach mainstream media.  About 50  print 
version press releases in both German and English have already gone 
out to some of the larger dissident as well as mainstream print 
organs, prepared by the US legal team and faxed and mailed out of my 
office. 

Finally,  yesterday I did get a small but comforting birthday present 
after all from Ernst.  He was allowed to talk to me for what seemed 
only two or three minutes, but he managed to tell me that he 
considered himself to be a "Hostage to a Website", which I think must 
be unique in the annals of political hostage taking. 

I heard this morning from an unofficial source in Britain that 
thousands of American websites are under attack - and I asked for 
official verification.  That number seems exaggerated to me, but 
perhaps whoever put the word out counted the websites affected when 
the Giant, QWest, caved in to Canadian censorship of American Free 
speech and kicked the Zundelsite off.  Luckily, by now we are pros at 
that sort of attack, and within hours, my website was back on the air.

Keep spreading the word - and tell those who are afraid to stand up 
straight against oppression that, if they need it, we have political 
fig leaves to sell. 

What it a political fig leaf, you ask? 

A fig leaf looks like this, always to be accompanied with the right 
amount of squirming:  "Of course Ernst Zundel's views are odious, and 
no one would agree with him, nobody doubts the Holocaust, why, my 
best friends are Holocaust Survivors...HOWEVER..." 

That is as good a starting point as any for those who haven't yet 
learned how serious our struggle is. 

Ingrid