Dear RN, Ira Zbarsky is a Canadian activist (for organic agriculture, appropriate technology & native rights in particular) who was seized by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) on Dec. 4, 1999 because of a 1978 marijuana conviction in Canada. (The marijuana was being used for medical purposes.) After more than 2 months in detention without trial, Ira Zbarsky was ordered deported yesterday. During those two months, Ira worked with other detainees to call attention to deplorable conditions at the camp and to human rights abuses there. He had hoped for a fair trial yesterday but the trial was anything but fair. For me and some 2000 other people who have been following this case it is now clear that the way the INS operates fits right in with the way much of the US government operates: defiance of international law and basic human rights, threats to the sovereignty of other nations, a net effect of undermining efforts towards a livable world. The excerpts from the press release and other information below will fill you in on some details and provide information for those of you wanting to follow-up on this. all the best, jan ************************************************************ From: •••@••.••• Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 03:18:43 EST Subject: zbarsky release 02.07 To: •••@••.••• PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE IRA ZBARSKY TO BE DEPORTED WITHOUT FULL HEARING Canadian Consular Representative Pre-empted February 7, 2000 -- Vancouver, BC -- Ira Zbarsky, the Canadian development worker detained since December 4, 1999, at an immigration prison in Texas, was ordered deported today by US Immigration Judge Tovar. Mr. Zbarsky said to Suzanne Rose this morning, "Judge Tovar told that me that he was deporting me without reading my evidence or hearing my arguments." Zbarsky added, "I have spent two months working under the impression that I would be given a fair hearing both for myself and for numerous detainees here. My experience today shows that that was a complete waste of time." Mr. Zbarsky observed that he did not get a fair hearing. In fact, he reported that, "this morning at breakfast, two witnesses said that immigration officials were telling them at 7:00 AM that I was being deported tomorrow." This was, of course, before his hearing had taken place. Mr. Zbarsky's hearing time began at 10:00 AM local time, three hours in advance of the scheduled hearing time. John Morrow, the Canadian consular representative from Dallas, Texas, phoned the prison at 9:00 AM to say that he would be present at the court by 11:00 AM, two hours before the scheduled time of 1:00 PM in order to ensure that he could personally witness Zbarsky's hearing before the judge. But by 11:00 AM, Mr. Zbarsky had been ordered deported and his hearing was over. <snip> Lazar Puhalo, Archbishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada, and a member of the Human Rights Institute of Canada commented, "The Zbarsky case raises serious questions about American regard for Canadian sovereignty. It also raises questions as to how freely American authorities can access records on Canadian citizens in Canada. The United States consistently shows a callous disregard for international law." Ira Zbarsky, a Canadian citizen, has been at the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Port Isabel Service Processing Center, Los Fresnos, Texas (aside from short periods in other jails) since December 4, 1999. Mr. Zbarsky has been detained as part of a US Immigration "removal process" based on a minor Canadian conviction that occurred 22 years ago. Nathan Selzer, the INS abuse researcher for Proyecto Libertad and the American Friends Service Committee, has been working with Ira Zbarsky to document the abuse in the US INS system. "While the conditions of the [US] detention centers and prisons, where approximately 35,000 immigrants are held on any given day, are cause for great concern for me and many others, I have equal if not even greater concern for the million people who reside in deep south Texas along the border, a quarter of whom (if not more) live in constant fear given the intense militarization within our community. I am very grateful to Ira for his efforts within the camp, as this fear can only be overcome via trusting relationships, as he has developed with many during his detention. ... I don't expect things to be resolved tomorrow, but slowly, 'poco a poco', through the concerted efforts of persons of good will and those most impacted by the harshness of US immigration policy, we will change our societies," said Selzer. Suzanne Rose, co-ordinator of the support for Ira Zbarsky, said, "We are appalled by what we continue to learn about the US INS -- its systematic humiliation of detainees, its systematic violation of their human and legal rights, and its mockery of due process in deportation proceedings. We expect the US government to comply with United Nations and other international laws for the treatment of all detainees, including migrants and asylum seekers as well as Canadian visitors such as Ira Zbarsky." "We continue to call on the Canadian government to consider carefully its policies of sharing information with US police and immigration authorities, given that Canadian citizens can be detained in US prisons that violate United Nations principles on detainees and basic Canadian rights. We ask the Canadian government to ensure that it maintains policies independent of the US on criminal law, immigration law, surveillance of citizens, and the sharing of legal and criminal information with the US. And we call on the Canadian government to assist Mr. Zbarsky with any legal action he may take once he has returned to Canada, and help ensure the return of the truck he was driving and its contents," Rose added. -30- For more information, please contact: Suzanne Rose, Phone/Fax: 604-931-1396, Email: •••@••.••• Kevan Hudson, Phone: 604-274-1191, Fax: 604-274-1198, Email: •••@••.••• Steve Kisby, Phone: 604-323-0204, Fax: 604-323-0224, Email: •••@••.••• Nathan Selzer, Proyecto Libertad, Phone: 956-425-9552 Archbishop Lazar Puhalo, Email: •••@••.••• BACKGROUNDER ON IRA ZBARSKY: DETENTION IN TEXAS February 7, 2000 By Suzanne Rose EARLY YEARS Ira Zbarsky is a Canadian citizen, who resides in Vancouver. He was raised in Montreal. As a young man he worked on a kibbutz in Israel. In the 1970's and 1980's, he organized the cooperative production and distribution of organic food in the Interior of British Columbia (BC), Canada's western-most province. He has a special love for orchards and farming. Mr. Zbarsky has devoted many years to green issues: the permaculture, organic food, cooperative and bioregional movements, and Green politics. He has served as external secretary for the Green Party of British Columbia and for the Green Party of Canada. He has also supported aboriginal issues. SAPED Mr. Zbarsky has spent the last ten years working with Mayans in Guatemala and Southern Mexico. He is the project director for SAPED (Shuswap Association for the Promotion of Eco-Desarrollo), a registered Canadian charity formed in 1990 and based in Vancouver, BC. SAPED's goals are to promote community-based, ecologically-responsible and culturally-respectful development, using principles of mutual aid, appropriate technology, energy conservation and permaculture. ZBARSKY'S WORK WITH MAYANS For much of the year, Mr. Zbarsky is in the Western Highlands in Guatemala and Mexico, working with several Mayan coalitions, each serving many community groups of Mayans. These people are working with SAPED through Mr. Zbarsky on projects such as natural plant dyeing, medicinal herb gardens, livestock shelters, hand-crank roof tiles, tree nurseries, greenhouses, pedal-powered grain grinders, energy-conserving stoves, sewing and typing academies. He is also assisting with setting up an indigenous rights and training center and a natural agriculture center in the region. ZBARSKY'S ARREST IN TEXAS Ira Zbarsky was returning from work in Guatemala and Southern Mexico when he was arrested and detained by US Immigration on December 4, 1999, at Roma, Texas. At that time, the truck he was driving was seized. It was carrying textiles from Guatemala and organic coffee from Southern Mexico, to be sold in Canada as part of a fair trade exchange. Although Mr. Zbarsky has travelled through the US many times, he was this time detained based on a conviction which appears in a computer database which the US Immigration officials were using. Mr. Zbarsky was convicted in 1978 for possession of marijuana (for medical purposes). His fine in 1978 was $25.00, which is so low that it suggests there were mitigating circumstances. <snip> ZBARSKY'S ACTIONS WHILE DETAINED December 8-15 After public complaint on his own behalf, Ira Zbarsky was transferred from jail to jail in shackles on arms and legs, and kept for 5 of those days in solitary confinement. Mr. Zbarsky's shoulder and back were injured when he fell while in shackles. December 22 Mr. Zbarsky, plus 18 other detainees, submitted a letter requesting hot water, warm clothing, conjugal visits, among other concerns. He also requested help from outside the prison for a Muslim detainee from Burkina Faso, Fousseni Banao, and for visits by prison monitors. Mr. Zbarsky, after requesting access to his mail that day, was pushed by two guards against a metal pipe and cursed at. Mr. Zbarsky went on a hunger strike, requesting a written apology for gross disrespect and a general tribunal process for detainee complaints. December 30 Mr. Zbarsky ended his hunger strike. Head supervisor Jesus Rosales agreed to the setting up of a tribunal process to hear detainee complaints. January 7-10 Mr. Zbarsky learned of the beatings that had just occurred to Alex Seymour Kerr, a Jamaican detainee in the same facility. January 10 Mr. Zbarsky submitted letters to head supervisors Jesus Rosales and Yza Guirre, calling for an inquiry into the beatings of Mr. Kerr, the recognition of the right of bail for Texas residents, and a complaint process for problems with heath services. He threatened to go on another hunger strike. Mr. Rosales agreed to the inquiry and to direct access to the medical chief Dr. Freeth for complaints. January 14 Mr. Zbarsky submitted a letter to an INS guard for delivery to Mr. Rosales and Yza Guirre, requesting the ending of body searches when detainees leave the dining area. He was pushed around, yelled at, and cursed at by three INS guards. He then sent a letter to the head of the INS, Ms. Doris Meissner, asking for improved training of guards in order that they might treat detainees with respect. January 24 Mr. Zbarsky has submitted with other detainees a letter requesting that male guards refrain from watching surveillance videos of female detainees. He also started another hunger strike to demand from authorities that they put in writing their earlier promise to set up a tribunal process for detainees, given that they had not conducted an inquiry process into the beatings of Mr. Kerr, who has since been moved out of the facility. January 25 About 40-50 detainees meet publicly to plan a protest against the slow removal process. January 26 About 30 detainees started a hunger strike and petitioned the authorities requesting the speed-up of the removal process through faster release, deportation, or access to bail, unless the person is considered a risk to the US government or a flight risk. January 27 INS authorities promised to investigate thoroughly the cases of the strikers plus certain other cases. Several detainees are deported or released on bail. January 28 Ira Zbarsky and one other man remained on the hunger strike, seeking that E.M. Trominski, a higher-level INS authority, investigate the systematic long delays in processing detainees. January 29 Zbarsky was again placed in solitary confinement, inside the prison's medical unit. February 1 Ira Zbarsky terminated his hunger strike due to medical reasons. He was then released from solitary confinement. February 7 Before his hearing, Ira Zbarsky participated in a large public protest against unwarranted body searches. Mr. Zbarsky is documenting the incidents of abuse and disrespect that he is aware of. He is passing them on to Nathan Selzer [956-425-9552], a detainee abuse researcher with the Prison Monitoring Program of the American Friends Service Committee, of Philadelphia, and Proyecto Libertad, of Harlingen, Texas. He is preparing documentation of the psychological abuse of detainees for an INS psychologist. Issa Smith [703-620-0134] of The Muslim Immigration and Refugee Service of Washington, DC, is also supporting Mr. Zbarsky's efforts on behalf of detainees. Suzanne Rose has a summary of the relevant United Nations convenants and rules, and a list of websites pertaining to US INS prison abuses and violations of human rights. Contacts: Suzanne Rose, Phone/Fax: 604-931-1396, Email: •••@••.••• Kevan Hudson, Phone: 604-274-1191, Fax: 604-274-1198, Email: •••@••.••• Steve Kisby, Phone: 604-323-0204, Fax: 604-323-0224, Email: •••@••.••• ******************************************************* Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 03:15:11 EST Subject: zbarsky action #15 <snip> SAPED I have enclosed a letter about Ira's work, through SAPED. If you have specific ways to help SAPED, send an email to •••@••.•••. Ira will be very busy in the weeks ahead, so please be brief and focused. He looks forward to resuming his work in the South. PHONE BILL The collect phone bill for Ira Zbarsky is over $500.00. It is billed to Denise Velay, my sister, whose house I have been staying in to do this campaign. If you can send a donation to help pay this bill, please make out the cheque to Denise Velay. Please mark it "Zbarsky collect phone calls" and mail it to Denise Velay, 818 Henderson Avenue, Coquitlam, BC V3K 1P2 As this is not a SAPED donation, you would not receive a tax receipt, just our gratitude. <snip> WEBSITE FOR YOUR INFORMATION If you want to find out more about the immigration advocacy movement in the United States, here are the websites. www.aclu.org American Civil Liberties Union www.afsc.org American Friends Service Committee www.amnestyusa.org Amnesty International www.irsa-uscr.org Immigration and Refugee Services of America www.hrw.org Human Rights Watch www.lirs.org Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services www.nnirr.org The National Network for Immigrants and Refugees Rights www.tifa.org Texas Inmate Family Association •••@••.••• Immigrants Rights Movement •••@••.••• Muslim Immigration and Refugee Services These are other websites you may find interesting: www.canadians.org Council of Canadians: sovereignty issues www.ccaft.org Canadians Concerned about Free Trade www.davidorchard.com Canadian sovereignty issues www.ins.usdoj.gov US Department of Justice: INS law www.lisn.net leonard peltier Support for Leonard Peltier: in US prison almost 25 years www.thecompassionclub.org Support for medical use of marijuana www.torchlake.com Ex-border guard for Port Isabel prison, who has exposed abuse there THANK YOU Thank you for all your support. As Ira Zbarsky has desired, we have managed to retain confidentiality of his legal plans, we have focused on the INS abuses, and we stayed out of the mainstream media almost to the planned press release time, January 12. Thank you for your endurance: only two people have unsubscribed from this list in the last 9 weeks. <snip> It has been a pleasure to be part of this support group. It has been 12 hours per day for 9 weeks, in a city, far from my home village. I have missed folks just stopping by for tea, sharing garden plants, community stories, a warm hug, or just the view of the eagles out at sea. I wish to thank those of you who sent me words of kind encouragement during one of the most challenging times of my life. You are an amazing cross-section of supporters. Perhaps over 2000 people around North America and Europe will receive this alert. Most of you are seriously involved in fair trade, food security, forestry, green, human rights, indigenous, Mayan, medical aid, nonviolence, permaculture, and sovereignty issues. Thank you for taking on immigration and prison issues on Ira Zbarsky's behalf. Thank you very much for your enthusiasm and indignation and concrete effort on behalf of the INS detainees. The combination of Ira's bravery and your support has delivered a clear message to the INS -- just as non-land-owners, and people of colour, and women have struggled for and obtained their civil rights, we expect non-citizens to gain their civil rights as well. . Nathan Selzer of Proyecto Libertad, who has been working with Ira Zbarsky, battles US INS abuse of detainees as a full-time commitment. He told me recently, " Far too many in the U.S. and other "developed" countries accept such treatment as the standard and the norm as the punitive climate that has overcome the "first world" continues to gain strength. The powers that be are, and have been, decidedly against us in our struggle to have the right of human mobility recognized as the fundamental human right that it is. I don't expect things to be resolved tomorrow, but slowly, 'poco a poco', through the concerted efforts of persons of good will and those most impacted by the harshness of U.S. immigration policy, we will change our societies." I am glad, and I believe you are glad, that we could lend a hand to this struggle Suzanne Rose for Ira Zbarsky for SAPED and the Ira Zbarsky Support Committee (604) 931-1396 •••@••.••• SAPED BACKGROUNDER Dear Reader Thank you for your interest in SAPED and its work in Guatemala and Southern Mexico. WHAT IS SAPED? SAPED is a British Columbia-based registered charitable organization, founded in 1990. SAPED promotes: co-operative local economies, appropriate technologies, ecologically-based development, permaculture-based land use, indigenous cultural survival, and community-based organizations. The project director, Ira Zbarsky, has spent 10 years working with organizations in Guatemala and Chiapas. MAYAN PEOPLE BUILD SELF-RELIANCE The people of the Central Highlands in Chiapas and Guatemala are Mayan peasants. They have traditionally produced what they need: shelter, food, medicine and clothing. They want technologies that respect their Mayan culture, restore their land base ecologically, conserve energy, and foster co-operation. They want economic self-reliance, in order to produce what they need, sell what they produce at fair price, and defend their own regional and cultural values. They want their own strong organizations to obtain resources, promote their values, and defend their leaders. HOW ARE THE MAYANS DOING THIS? Throughout the Central Highlands, Mayans are experimenting. They work in community organizations on their own development projects. SAPED, through Ira Zbarsky’s work, has assisted with the following types of projects. FOOD: greenhouses for vegetables, fruit orchards, livestock feed production, pedal-powered grain grinders and workshops SHELTER AND CLOTHING: hand-cranked roof tiles, livestock shelters from scrap wood, plant-based fiber dying HEALTH: plant-based water treatment, medicinal herb nurseries EDUCATION: typing and sewing academies, community workshops ECONOMY: revolving loan funds, production for local consumption. Mayans are dealing with cultural change on their own terms: making economic and technological changes without sacrificing their own values and way of life. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT SAPED’S WORK? You can do the following: · join SAPED: give $25.00 a year and receive the newsletter · donate money to SAPED and receive a tax receipt · donate tools: bicycle parts, sewing machines, typewriters etc. · help raise funds: hold events, research donors, find outlets to sell Mayan crafts and coffee · help spread the word: arrange meetings or slideshows · provide needed information; for example, on plant-based water treatment CONTACT US If you want to contact us... * phone Kevan at (604) 274-1191 * email to •••@••.••• * write to SAPED, 818 Henderson Road, Coquitlam, BC, V3K1P2 Canada Please send us your name and mailing address. Email address is preferred for the newsletter list. -end-