Today in Vancouver, Lawyers Against the War filed torture charges against George W. Bush under the Canadian Criminal Code.

The charges were laid by Gail Davidson, co-chair of LAW, under provisions enacted pursuant to the U.N. Torture Convention, ratified by both Canada and the United States. The charges concern the well known abuses of prisoners held by American forces at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The charges were accepted by the Justice of the Peace and referred for a hearing to decide whether Bush should be required to appear for trial. The Attorney General of Canada's consent is required within eight days for proceedings to continue, and the question of Bush's diplomatic immunity will have to be resolved by the court.

Lawyers Against the War is an international group of jurists based in Canada with members in 14 countries.

For further information please contact, Gail Davidson at 604-738-0338
or Michael Mandel at 416-788-5938

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