MP Viersen reads the petition calling to put sanctions on Turkish officials

Peace River-Westlock Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) MP Arnold Viersen tabled the petition to place sanctions on 12 Turkish officials with around 1,500 signatures from across Canada, in the Parliament on June 14.

A delegation including international a human rights lawyer Sarah Teich, Michael Polak, Kevin Dent, NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, Northern Justice Watch President Yasemin Mamaloglu, survivors Mesut Kacmaz and Meral Kacmaz, as well as Murat Acar and Candan Acar had exchanged discussions with Viersen on March 28.

Viersen had promised the delegation to voice their concerns on the detention of 8 Turkish Canadians by the Turkish Government. Within days, a petition had started circulating around Canada, bringing attention to the gross human rights violations in Turkiye, Pakistan and Bahrain, where the local officials have been practising unsanctioned detentions all over the globe.

“Turkish officials have wrongfully detained over 300,000 people,” Viersen stated at the House of Commons, as he mentioned the torture and murder of a Turkish teacher, Gokhan Acikkollu.

The petition urged the Canadian Government to closely monitor the human rights violations in Turkey and put sanctions on the 12 Turkish officials responsible for the murder of Acikkollu and the gross violations against the 8 Turkish Canadians

Viersen ended his turn, saying, “They (the petitioners) are calling on the Turkish, Pakistani and Bahraini governments to end all violations of human rights in their countries.”