More on Canada’s Latest “Hate Law” Victim Arthur Topham
On May 16, members of the RCMP and British Columbia’s “hate squad” led by Detective/Constable Terry Wilson, raided the Quesnel home of publisher Arthur Topham and for nine hours ransacked his house. They seized his Apple computer and memory sticks. They also seized his firearms. “I keep a Winchester rifle as we’re in Grizzly Bear country and my mining exploration takes me into the creeks where there are many bears,” Mr. Topham says.
Although the warrant was not issued until 4:55 p.m., Mr,. Topham was arrested and taken away in handcuffs at noon that day. Mr. Topham was charged under Sec. 319(2) of the Criminal Code — Canada’s notorious “hate law.” Mr. Topham’s alleged offences occurred, according to the warrant April 28, 2011 and May 14, 2012. Mr. Topham told CAFE in an interview that the complainants were his nemesis Harry Abrams, a Victoria operative of the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith and serial Canadian Human Rights Act complainant under Sec. 13 (Internet censorship) Richard Warman. Abrams filed a Sec. 13 complaint against Mr. Topham for material on his website The Radical Press.com. —www.radicalpress.com. After Marc Lemire’s victory September 2, 2009 which resulted in Sec. 13 essentially being declared unconstitutional, the Abrams complaint was adjourned sine die, until all appeals in the Lemire case are exhausted.
It would appear the “hate law” charges are the latest effort to silence the anti-Zionist gadfly of the Cariboo.
The conditions of Mr. Topham’s release undertaking are brutal. He must “abstain from communicating directly or indirectly with Richard Warman or Harry Abrams.” He must “abstain from possessing a firearm” and, in the spirit of gagging the victim even before a trial in a manner that would make the Red Chinese proud, Mr. Topham must “not access the Internet or be in possession of a device that would be capable of accessing the Internet except in the course of lawful employment.”
“As the secretary of the Cariboo Mining Association, I maintain their website and I need access to the Internet,” he adds.
As this case may take three years or more to reach Court, Mr. Topham is essentially silenced. Canada’s “hate laws” are abuse by process.
The computer hard drive and memory sticks contain banking and business information relating to Mr. Topham’s employment. He is involved in “placer mining in Grizzly Bear country.” He has been organizing men and equipment for surface gold exploration. Without access to his records, he is financially crippled to say nothing about being defenceless while living and working in bear country. Just today, Mr. Topham told CAFE, “one of the men reported evidence of fresh bear droppings and a kill just above the claim where we were working.”
In questioning Mr. Topham, “hate squad” head Terry Wilson seemed especially interested an appalled by what he assumed was a book Mr. Topham had published. Mr. Topham’s website contains material entitled Israel Must Perish. Wilson was outraged at the title. Mr. Topham had to disappoint him. “I told him it was a parody. I had merely reprinted portions the hateful Zionist tract Germany Must Perish including the cover and, wherever the word Germany occurred, I changed it to Israel. It’s the Zionists, not I, who should be charged with ‘hate,'” he says.
Mr. Topham’s first scheduled Court appearance is October 9 but his lawyer Douglas H. Christie is seeking, in the meantime, to have at least his business related information returned to him.
As political prisoner Arthur Topham is not allowed access to the Internet or e-mail, messages of support or donations may be sent to:
Arthur Topham,
4633 Barkerville Hwy.,
Quesnel, BC.,
V2J 6T8
Paul Fromm
Director
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION FOR FREE EXPRESSION