http://www.legalizace.cz/index.php?clanekid=481
OSLIK - The civil association for legal cannabis
Opletalova 19, 11000 Praha 1
Czech Republic
His Excellency Mr. Bruce Jutzi
Ambassador of Canada to the Czech Republic
The Canadian Embassy in Prague
Muchova 6
160 00 Prague 6
Czech Republic
* * * *
Your Excellency,
According to a number of news reports, Canadian police have arrested British Columbia Marijuana Party (BCMP) founder and leader Marc Emery and two of his associates on US charges which include conspiring to distribute marijuana and marijuana seeds.
The information we have received has not yet been confirmed from more than one independent source – and for this reason we would like to apply to the Canadian Embassy for official information about Marc Emery’s situation. According to our information, the case in question has been the following:
Pursuant to US federal law, Mr. Emery faces a mandatory minimum ten-year prison sentence with the possibility of life imprisonment if convicted on the marijuana charges. Mr. Emery is not accused of actually conspiring to sell marijuana. Instead, US prosecutors are holding him criminally responsible for all the marijuana grown by people they have arrested who bought seeds from Mr. Emery.
We, the citizens of Czech Republic organized in the Civic Association for Legal Cannabis, consider the fact that someone may be sentenced to life imprisonment for a minor offence such as selling marijuana seeds, to be absolutely shocking and incredible. We are concerned about Marc Emery’s fate.
Canada can save Marc Emery by refusing his extradition to the United States. According to Canadian law or the law of most European Union countries, Marc Emery would face only limited or no punishment at all – and definitely not a totally inadequate and exaggerated punishment such as a life sentence.
There is strong support for cannabis legalisation among citizens of the Czech Republic – and even other people living in our country usually consider marijuana growing, possession and smoking to be only a relatively minor offence.
Canada may expect strong moral support from many Czech citizens should your country decide to resist the US pressure and refuse to extradite Marc Emery to a country where he would face shocking and inadequate punishment.
We know very well, Your Excellency, that Canada is one of the most tolerant and hospitable countries in the world. Many Czech political refugees found exile in Canada during times of hardship, when our country was ruled by a totalitarian communist regime. There is strong evidence that the charges against Marc Emery are the result of political persecution. Marc Emery is not a drug dealer – but rather a political activist who used the funds raised from his seeds-selling operation to fund numerous marijuana legalisation activities all around the world.
The prospect that Marc Emery could be jailed for life in the United States for selling cannabis seeds generally comes as a shock to the Czech public.
We apologise for consuming your time and patience should our concern be found to be based on inaccurate information or incorrect interpretation of facts.
Yours sincerely,
David Čermák
Chairman of the Civic Association for Legal Cannabis
See also ENCOD statement on Marc Emery