OTTAWA – Alex Atamanenko, MP (BC Southern Interior) says he is distressed to learn that Iraq war resister, Kimberley Rivera has now been dishonourably discharged and sentenced to 14 months in military prison at her U.S. Army court marshall. “It is a travesty of justice that she was denied refuge in Canada by Stephen Harper and his Conservative government who know as well as anyone the illegality of the Iraq war.”
Kimberley Rivera came to Canada and spoke against the war after the reasons for taking military action proved to be a lie and witnessing firsthand the impact of the U.S. invasion to Iraqi children during her deployment.
“Despite the huge outpouring of Canadian and International support for Rivera, the Conservative government forced her to return to the US where they knew arrest and prosecution awaited her,” stated Atamanenko
Atamanenko says that providing a compassionate and safe haven to resisters of illegal wars is who we are as Canadians and as a nation. “It is shameful that this courageous woman will now suffer a harsh separation from her family because our government lacked the moral fortitude to do what is right.”