RE: [Fwd: FC: Scientology online critic flees to Canada, seeks asylum]

From: Harvey Newstrom (mail@HarveyNewstrom.com)
Date: Thu May 17 2001 - 10:07:41 MDT


CurtAdams@aol.com wrote,
> Granting asylum doesn't involve any attempt to overthrow a
> conviction. It's more of an acknowledgement that the conviction
> won't be overthrown even though it is unjust.

Agreed. I meant to say "interfere with" or "override" a conviction.

> but they would grant asylum if they thought the conviction
> or the punishment was inappropriate.

Has Canada or any other country actually granted U.S. citizens asylum from
the U.S. government?

> In reverse, I'm sure that an Anglophone Quebecker could get asylum
> in the US from the Quebec

I may be more jaded, but I don't think the U.S. would ever grant asylum from
a country we were friendly with. I think we only use asylum against
countries that we accuse of systemic human rights abuses. If we or other
countries started intervening into individual cases on their own merits, it
would become politically difficult. I would expect government officials to
avoid these kinds of difficulties at all costs.

--
Harvey Newstrom <http://HarveyNewstrom.com> <http://Newstaff.com>



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