September 8, 2005

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

We are writing to you out of deep concern for the health and well-being of Mohammad Mahjoub, who has been detained without trial in an Ontario prison for over five years and is now on a hunger strike to demand minimally decent conditions of detention. His demands are:

- a monthly contact visit with his children, denied to him after more than five years of unjustified (and according to Canadian charter of rights, illegal) detention;

- necessary medical care for a knee injury sustained in Metro West jail;

- a liver biopsy ordered by a physician after contracting hepatitis C in prison; and

- a pair of eyeglasses.

As nursing students concerned with universal access to healthcare, we are especially troubled by Mr. Mahjoub's case which is in direct violation of our country's commitment to healthcare for all newcomers, including asylum-seekers and refugees (under the Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Interim Federal Health Program).

As of today (Thursday, September 8), Mohammad Mahjoub is on Day 64 of his hunger strike. Mr. Mahjoub was already in poor health before beginning his current hunger strike, and medical professionals have stated, in a letter to Prime Minister Paul Martin September 2, 2005, that Mr. Mahjoub is at imminent risk of permanent, severe impairment, and very possibly, of death.

Please intervene immediately to try to find a humane solution to this situation. You have the power, and therefore the moral responsibility, to resolve this crisis. As Canadians, we pride ourselves on respecting basic human rights. Please remain true to this fundamental value. Should Mohammad Mahjoub die or be permanently handicapped, it would be to our lasting shame and dishonour as Canadians and as members of the human family.

In sum, we strongly urge that this situation be dealt with immediately and that Mr. Mahjoub's legitimate demands be met.

We look forward to your prompt response to this letter, and immediate action to resolve this crisis.

Sincerely,

Irene Sarasua for McGill Nurses for Global Health (MNGH)

3506 University Street
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 2A7

MNGH-owner@yahoogroups.com

CC: Anne McLellan, Joe Volpe, Pierre Pettigrew, Monte Kwinter