Article content continued

Like it or not, a winning strategy for assisting a Canadian incarcerated abroad needs to take into account the resources of our government and other considerations.

Here are some specific suggestions that might assist Canadians incarcerated overseas and those working to release them:

First, learn about local rules and processes. Track down people familiar with the customs, traditions and applicable laws. Be sure to be flexible. I recall walking into a courtroom in Taiwan to defend a penniless American charged with shoplifting. Non-Taiwanese lawyers were prohibited from appearing in the local courts. So I appeared as his “translator” and won the acquittal.

Second, the “media game” is sensitive: Once reporters grab the story, the government and you lose significant control. A potential slight to the government in control of your loved one may worsen that person’s circumstances. At the same time, it may be important to get the case into the media in order to ensure that the host country knows that the world is watching. When I was helping the late Bill Sampson, the Canadian wrongly accused of planting car bombs in Saudi Arabia, I published an account that pointed out the many reasons why he was unlikely to have committed the alleged offence.

Third, consider the interests of the foreign government. Using the appropriate approach, try to focus some attention on the foreign country’s ambassador to Canada, leveraging these competing interests to the best of your ability. While I was an MP, Mexico’s ambassador to Canada played a significant and sensitive role in assisting the family of a Canadian who was wrongly charged with drug offences.