FC: Details on Scientology critic's arrest in Toronto

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

*********
Background: http://www.politechbot.com/cgi-bin/politech.cgi?name=henson
*********

Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 05:23:33 +0200
From: Zenon Panoussis <oracle () xs4all nl>
To: politech () politechbot com
Subject: Re: FC: Scientology critic seeks asylum in Canada, reportedly arrested

In http://www.politechbot.com/p-02072.html Declan wrote:

> Some quick searches turned up no news articles about Henson's reported
> arrest.

The Toronto Globe & Mail wrote about the arrest:
http://www.globeandmail.com/gam/Toronto/20010529/UARESM.html
The Register covered the case before the arrest, but is must:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/19071.html

A posting about the arrest by Gregg Hagglund, who witnessed it,
and one of Arel Lucas, Henson's wife:
http://216.240.45.86/hagglund-takedown.txt
http://216.240.45.86/hensonalert.txt

The most complete and up-to-date site on this affair:
http://freehenson.da.ru/

Z

*********

From: xenu () blazenet net
Date: 29 May 2001 02:02:49 -0000
Subject: Update from Henson's wife and brief note

This mail may be cited as http://216.240.45.86/hensonalert.txt

WHEREVER http://www.operatingthetan.com occurs substitute
http://216.240.45.86.  www.operatingthetan.com resolves to two hosts,
one of which is not mirroring properly.

Here's the update about the heavily-armed "fugitive team" collaring
Henson with automatic weapons and the whole deal in an ordinarily
peaceful parking lot of a suburban shopping mall.


Reply to arelxenu () hotmail com for any questions about this mail,
the latest news.  (Arel is Arel Lucas, Henson's wife.)

Sorry to spam y'all, but I have very little time.

Keith was arrested today at gunpoint by the Toronto Police "fugitive squad"
in a parking lot in Oakville, Ontario, while in the company of his Canadian
host, Gregg Haglund.  Gregg was released, but Keith was taken into custody
for "failure to declare that he was a fugitive when he entered Canada."
Keith was not a fugitive when he entered Canada.  He only decided to prolong
his visit (after picketing there) on the advice of an attorney whom he saw
on Monday, May 14.  His sentencing was scheduled for May 16, but he had
reason to believe that sentencing would not take place then, since the
sentencing report could not be found, and he also had a motion in pro se
before the court that might have delayed or stopped the action.  He had
airline reservations back to San Jose that are probably still on the books
unless he has managed to get a refund.

His attorney is Guidy Mamann, but the case is actually being handled by Ron
Polton of that office, (416) 862-0000.

As those of you who are receiving this know, Keith has been the object of a
$cientology campaign to silence him since 1996.  This is the latest and
worst of their attempts, although if they succeed in getting him back to
California there is a bench warrant out for him since he failed to appear
for what did turn out to be a sentencing hearing on May 16.  It is a "no
bail warrant," unheard of in a misdemeanor case.  If he should be returned
to California and jailed here, it could be a death sentence, since the
$cientologists have been doing their best to hang a "child molester" jacket
on him for years now.  He is applying for refugee status in Canada, but the
papers had not been filed by his attorney yet.  His sentence is 200 days and
five years' probation.  If the probation terms are the same as the deal
offered (and turned down) before sentencing, they include random and
unannounced searches of his person, home and car for "incendiary devices,"
which, like the marijuana in Jesse Prince's case just dismissed last week,
could easily be planted.  If he is allowed to live through his jail
sentence, it's clear that felony violations of his probation would follow.
Keith's only hope is to manage to stay outside the US, at least until an
appeal--not currently being financed or filed by anyone, and we've been
quoted $50,000 to do it, and Keith is bankrupt and I have no savings
left--clears him.

It is my and his host's belief that false information was given to Canadian
Immigration that must have included a claim that he was a terrorist, or they
would not have brought out a parking lot full of armed police with their
guns drawn (including automatic weapons).  It must have been alleged that he
was armed and dangerous for this to have happened.  If either he or his host
had made a false move, they would be dead now.

The Toronto *Globe and Mail* has been given an exclusive on this story by
Gregg, and they are talking headlines tomorrow morning.

Arel

*********




-------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list
You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice.
To subscribe, visit http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html
This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------