Vanier in hospital in Chetumal, October 14, 2012 (La politica) |
An initial finding had not been in her favour, but this most
recent decision, which does not reflect on her guilt or innocence with regard
to an alleged plot to smuggle Saadi Gaddafi to Mexico in 2011, concluded that
there were enough procedural snafus to make her detention illegal.
These circumstances, though wildly differing in detail to
the Florence Cassez case, nonetheless echoed the circumstances surrounding the release
of the French national, who had been convicted of kidnapping, but was later
released when it was determined that the process of evidence collection was so
profoundly corrupted it was impossible for her to receive a fair trial.
Vanier, who was arrested early in November 2011 along with
three others, had argued that lack of consular and legal access and the
flimsiness of the evidence – much of it from anonymous sources that could not
be verified, or from questionable sources that could not be cross-examined –
made the case against her untenable.
Now, a Supreme Court Tribunal has agreed, and Vanier, along
with her co-accused Gabriela de Cueto, has been released. A third man, Pierre
Flensborg, is also expected to be released. The fate of the fourth, a Mexican
national, is unknown.
La politica has
been following this case closely and had deliberately held back on some reporting
as the release date neared. This story is still breaking: we will soon be in a
position to report extensively on the circumstances behind the release.
(TE Wilson is the author of Mezcalero, a Detective Sánchez novel.)
For related stories see also:
April 20, 2013: Gabriela de Cueto on US soil as Cynthia Vanier awaits deportation
(TE Wilson is the author of Mezcalero, a Detective Sánchez novel.)
For related stories see also:
April 210, 2013: Cynthia
Vanier: linking up the emails in the Mexican evidence and the RCMP search
warrant of SNC-Lavalin’s offices
April 20, 2013: Gabriela de Cueto on US soil as Cynthia Vanier awaits deportation
Twitter: @TimothyEWilson
Email: lapoliticaeslapolitica [at] gmail [dot] com
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good news
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