I blogged in December about Jeremy Hinzman, the coward who had deserted his comrades as they went to Iraq, instead applying in Canada for refugee status. Well, Canada’s decision was handed down today, and Hinzman’s hopes of staying yellow in the Great White North were denied.
A former US soldier who quit the army in protest against the Iraq war has been denied refugee status in Canada.
Jeremy Hinzman, 26, was the first to receive an answer from a number of US deserters seeking Canadian residency.
Mr Hinzman, who served in Afghanistan in a non-combat role, left the 82nd Airborne Regiment when he was deployed to Iraq.
Correspondents say the decision may affect eight other ex-servicemen, but improve Canadian-US relations.
In its judgement Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board said Mr Hinzman had not convinced its members that he would face persecution or cruel and unusual punishment if he were sent back to the US.
Board member Brian Goodman wrote in the judgement: “The treatment does not amount to a violation of a fundamental human right, and the harm is not serious.”
Mr Hinzman’s lawyer said he planned to appeal, and that they remained confident of success.
“He is disappointed. We don’t believe that people should be imprisoned for doing what they believe is illegal,” Jeffry House told Canadian TV.
Man, I really hope that is a misquote.
Mr House also settled in Canada after dodging the US military draft during the Vietnam War.
Well, maybe it’s not.
If Mr Hinzman’s appeal is not successful, his final option would be a direct plea to Canada’s immigration minister for leave to remain on compassionate grounds.
He faces up to five years in prison if he fails and is returned to the US.
Mr Hinzman fled his unit in January 2004, shortly before the 82nd Airborne was due in Iraq.
He had served three years in the army, but had asked to be classified as a conscientious objector ahead of deployment to Afghanistan in 2002.
Mr Hinzman now lives with his wife and young son in Toronto, where his case has been championed by Quakers and anti-war activist groups.
I have little sympathy for a volunteer who runs out on his fellow soldiers. Okay, maybe a touch of sympathy, as I’ll stand by my original conclusion from December:
Should any such deserters elect to return, I would like to see Hinzman and his ilk given a choice: prison or finish service in one of the historical roles of conscientious objector, such as a medic or chaplain’s assistant. See, I have a heart, especially for Quaker Buddhists.
See, I have a heart.
Comments
2 responses to “US Deserter Denied Canada Asylum”
Jeff is an excellent lawyer and he is a great guy in general!!! I am very proud of being a personal friend of him. It is so encouraging to see how successful and assertive and supportive and happy he is despite all the trouble he had had back then with the draft. He is a person we can learn a lot from on making it despite all and doing a lot of good and thriving despite all. I think it was terrible what had happened decades past with the Vietnam war and the draft and therefore I am happy that he works as a very successful lawyer now in Canada.
I hope and think Jeff will win the Supreme Court Appeal. He is an excellent lawyer.
I think the trouble is mostly or at least partly due to the mistakes made by the Bush Administration and other institutions. Abu Ghraib and stuff have proved very damaging to the war on terror, I feel. I mean, America has done such a great and historically meritious job with the liberation of Germany and Kosova but the women of Afghanistan are still not yet liberated despite the overthrow of the Taliban. The Afghan Women’s Act championed by Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer needs to be passed into law and implemented asap.
The Iraq war is just the worst failure of the Bush Administration and they have been doing more to get Americans into trouble, e.g. by tax cuts for the rich, cuts in programs for women and minorities and poor people, poor hurricane relief etc.etc. Every dollar still spent on the Iraq war is found missing somewhere else. America can’t win that war and I hope that the Democrats can soon bring the servicemen and servicewomen home. That war is a disastrous flop and should never have been started in the beginning, but Bush was so keen to wage it despite all the warnings it might end up a catastrophe, which it ultimately did.
Yep, I am very proud to be a liberal feminist and as stated before, I am also very proud of being a personal friend of Jeff. He does a great job and I hope he will win the refugee cases so that his clients can stay in Canada.