Arash Ghiassi @arash_ghiassi Twitter profile

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Arash Ghiassi

8 months

The latest from @Riaz_Sayani and I in @TheHillTimes : Canadian police muzzle advocates for peace - Or how an unstated “Palestine exception” to the Charter has taken hold - Unlocked for 24 hours (for now)

Canadian police muzzle advocates for peace

It’s fatally dangerous for both freedom and democracy to put the police in charge of dictating the bounds of acceptable political discourse.

www.hilltimes.com

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

8 months

How can Vancouver police be permitted to have a foreign state's flag on their uniform? Who does this officer receive orders from?

SEAN ORR

@seanorr

8 months

Absolutely everyone should be concerned by this. No matter where you stand on this, the @VancouverPD should be partisan. As head of police board @KenSimCity should address this #vanpoli

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

Today 30 police officers, 20 security guards, 6 horses, and 2 bulldozers were sent to a public park to throw out my homeless neighbours. To accompish that, police punched, kicked, pushed, and detained people and put them in chokeholds. An ambulance had to be called. 1/

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

If anyone is charged with an offense from yesterday's pro-Palestinian rally in Toronto, and needs a lawyer, get in touch.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

1 year

The insinuation that Jewish communities in Toronto should be scared of their Palestinian neighbours is racist and antisemitic.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

1 year

The legal profession is black-listing pro-Palestinian voices. Like the red scare era, senior members of the bar online bully, slander, and ask employers to fire any lawyer or even law student daring to speak out against Israel. In one case supported by a sitting OCJ judge.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

9 months

Ticketing protesters at the Eaton Centre violates freedom of speech guaranteed by s. 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Yes, the guarantee applies on private property, and - as a court found in 1986 - specifically at Eaton Centre. A🧵:

Dave Gray-Donald

@dgrdon

9 months

Toronto police in the Eaton Centre yesterday also quickly gave a trespass notice to protestors sayung they had 5 mins to leave or they would be arrested. Probably over 100 cops at the mall. Photo is of when protestors had moved to the exit.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

4 years

This evening Toronto police punched, shoved, dragged, pepper sprayed & beat up working class people protesting the new mass eviction bill. Once again: who do you protect? Who do you serve?

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

1 year

Palestinians and their supporters have a Charter right to freedom of expression and assembly.

Mayor Olivia Chow

@MayorOliviaChow

1 year

I'm aware of the unsanctioned rally at Nathan Phillips Square today. My statement below:

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

Across the streets, from a shiny new apartment building, other neighbours watched as a banner tauntingly read, "MOVE IN TODAY". Follow @ESN_TO and stand up against violent displacement. 2/

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

11 months

The blacklisting is real. It is unacceptable.

Brian Lilley

@brianlilley

11 months

So far, 74 students of the TMU law school have signed this heinous letter. Most of them have signed their real names. For the major law firms across Canada, you should all save a copy of this and check anyone applying against it.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

1 year

By black-listing I mean there are literal lists. If you are a lawyer or law student experiencing this, give me a shout. We won't be silenced.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

2 years

I was admitted to the Nunavut bar yesterday. The burden to do right in the context of a violent, colonial legal system feels solemn and heavy. But I know that a different world is possible.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

11 months

I'm proud to stand with 400+ colleagues (and counting) across Canada who say NO to a new McCarthyism that seeks to suffocate dissent on Palestine. To all students facing backlash: We will mentor you. We will support you. We are proud to call you colleagues. #ceasefirenow

Legal Profession Against Retaliation

@canlawforpal

11 months

We are members of the legal profession in Canada concerned about the pervasive repression of speech on Palestinian liberation. Read our open letter signed by 350+ lawyers, legal workers and academics.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

5 years

‼️ BREAKING ‼️ Open letter from 47 organizations and 773 individuals calling for prisoners to be released and other measures to protect people behind bars from #COVID19 !

Open Letter - Contain COVID, Not People.pdf

drive.google.com

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

2 years

Being a criminal defense lawyer is a heartbreaking life

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

9 months

I can't believe this needs to be said: It is unlawful for politicians to direct police enforcement against their political opponents -- or for police to enforce rules selectively to target voices those politicians prefer silenced.

Dave Gray-Donald

@dgrdon

9 months

Trudeau on Global News on Tuesday: "The police need to be arresting people who are engaged in acts of violence or breaking the law, whether it is a sound ordinance or a trespassing." Ottawa police yesterday:

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

2 years

1/ This revolt is unprecedented since Iran's 1979 revolution. The people have shed their fear. The scale of the protests, their direct and courageous nature, and the radical demands signal the beginning of the end of Iran's patriarchal theocracy. #IranProtests #MahsaAmini

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

9 months

Vaguely threatening visits from police to cancel political events are extremely alarming.

The Grind

@TheGrindTO

9 months

This Palestine solidarity concert in Toronto, previously canceled by the Horseshoe Tavern, has just been canceled again. This after police visited the new venue, It's Ok*, expressing vague concerns about security, according to an organizer.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

9 months

With so much of Toronto's public infrastructure privatized - including the PATH - it is more important than ever to insist that big corporations like Cadillac Fairview cannot silence us by relying on "private property."

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

4 years

I finally watched #RPDR season 12, and @JackieCoxNYC gave me LIFE!

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

1 year

And now the police is signaling they'll ramp up racial profiling against Palestinians

Chief Myron Demkiw

@TPSMyronDemkiw

1 year

I am closely monitoring the events in Israel with deep concern. The @torontopolice is not aware of any threats to Jewish communities in Toronto; however, we have increased our presence and visibility to ensure the safety of our Jewish communities and all residents.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

9 months

In 1984, the late Jack Layton (then a city counselor) was issued a trespass ticket for picketing at the Eaton Centre to support a unionization drive. The Ontario Court of Justice threw out the charge. You can read the decision here:

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

9 months

Unlike the US, we declined to protect private property in our constitution for a reason.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

9 months

Update: it got windy. #freeGaza

Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

9 months

Reporting live from Yonge Street where it is -16 degrees with windchill #CEASEFIRE_NOW

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

#IStandWithHarsha - a necessary, courageous, and truth-telling voice in the barren land of the legal nonprofit industry. As much as I had high hopes for @bccla (where I used to work) with leadership of @HarshaWalia , this stance again clarifies the limits of such nonprofits.

BC Civil Liberties Association

@bccla

3 years

Letter from the Board President to the Community.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

9 months

The court held Layton's freedom of expression was denied - a freedom that "exist[s] to the detriment of the mall occupier's property rights." The public, invited to "enter the mall with money in hand" did not "leave their Charter rights and freedoms outside the mall property."

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

7 months

The antisemitism envoy is IN FAVOUR of bilateral meetings with Italian fascist leadership. She is extremely unserious.

Deborah Lyons

@DeborahLyonsSE

7 months

Last night’s shameful forced cancellation of a bilateral meeting due to a violent protest is the direct result of caving in to the irrational demands of an out-of-control and noisy cohort, fueling their determination. It will take courageous leadership - which may not be easy but

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

4 years

A new chapter: I'm excited to share that I've joined @RORRGAlaw , where I'll do criminal trials and appeals with excellent colleagues! Defence work is a thankless calling, but it will one day be made obsolete as movements dare us to imagine a world without police or prisons.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

4 years

Finally got my Pure Empty Reconciliation™ can from @TheEagleist !! Meaningfulness 0 Sincerity 0 Usefulness 0

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

2 years

This is @cbcnews front page and choice of headline. 1500 killed? Naah the main news is about a car dealership. @cbcpitchbot

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

2 years

It's great to have diversity at the Supreme Court: Justice Jamal keenly understands the perspective of the racialized police officer who wants to search your home without a warrant.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

People arrested in Ontario are being denied bail hearings for days because bail courts are too busy. 1. Arrest fewer people. 2. Release more people who are arrested. 3. Don't close the bail courts early. Sometimes no contested hearings are heard after 3:30 PM. Why not 24/7?

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

My client is being offered two "choices": 1. Forgo his right to a trial by jury, previously scheduled for January. 2. Wait in jail until NEXT OCTOBER when he might have a jury trial. How is this fair?

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

4 years

The end of a chapter! Today was my last day at a legal aid clinic in Toronto, after 1 year. There were lots of ups & downs (not least, budget cuts) but I am so grateful for meeting & learning from incredible people doing amazing work. Maybe Ill write a book on it one day?

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

10 months

I can't stop thinking about these trends replicated in Canada's legal profession - and the fact it is mostly old White men who attack mostly young women of colour for speaking out against Israel. This systemic racism problem is well-known. But a new guard is coming.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

4 years

Thread: @globeandmail has seen a draft bill that has not been made public, which seemingly makes very alarming changes to CERB. It seems to force workers off of CERB and back to work when it is "reasonable" -- on the pain of imprisonment:

Ottawa planning fines, imprisonment for fraudulent CERB claims

A draft bill obtained by The Globe outlines a series of offences, including making false or misleading statements, failing to fully disclose all relevant income or receiving an income support payment...

www.theglobeandmail.com

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

@JohnTory He's presumed innocent, John.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

5 years

At today's anti-war rally in Toronto, @MatthewGreenNDP laid out a strong anti-imperialist case for peace: Clear-eyed, determined, and encouragous. Each lost life matters. #NoWarWithIran

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

4 years

A major limitation of criminal defence practice in Ontario is that there are no social workers. No housing support. No employment support. No income support. The for-profit model does not adequately serve the needs of those who are criminalized because of poverty.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

4 years

Instead of losing our right to be tried by 12 jurors and other protections for the defence, why won't the Crown take another look at the "backlog" and drop the many cases that are simply not in the public interest to prosecute, given limited resources?

Supreme Court chief justice suggests Criminal Code changes to cut into court backlogs | CBC News

The federal government should consider Criminal Code amendments on how jury trials function to deal with the massive caseload backlog caused by COVID-19 disruptions, Canada's top judge told CBC News.

www.cbc.ca

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

Another year has passed; another year defined by absence and the regrets of losing a parent too soon.

Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

4 years

This evening my mother's absence suddenly hit me hard. Next Monday it will be exactly 5 years since she passed away from cancer, and I really miss her. I would give anything to be able to talk to her agin, or to hold her. She was kind, wise, and full of love and light.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

Bad take.

Toronto Police Operations

@TPSOperations

3 years

@RyersonU Please note the @RyersonU statement. While we appreciate that recent events have had a traumatic impact, we cannot tolerate acts of vandalism/violence. Officers will be on site to ensure the safety of everyone involved and will investigate/enforce as necessary.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

4 years

Mayor John Tory said he wished he had magical powers to stop mass evictions in Toronto There is no need to resort to magic. Tory has the legal power under emergency legislation to implement an eviction ban tomorrow.

Mayor Tory has more power to protect tenants than he thinks

Mayor John Tory has legal power under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to implement an eviction ban in Toronto.

www.thestar.com

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

I'm now officially part of a new team, playing a small role in resisting the carceral state with amazing colleagues @megan__savard , @foyee , and @Riaz_Sayani . I couldn't be more excited!

Savard Foy LLP

@SavardFoy

3 years

Welcome @arash_ghiassi !

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

4 years

Hi Attorney General @douglasdowney , thank you for the follow -- kindly fund legal aid, release prisoners, and end COVID-19 evictions now!

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

This is funny because it's true Ive been a criminal lawyer just over a year and I've already had a judge impugn my integrity because a client demanded his trial Another judge told me young Black men languishing in pretrial custody was my fault because my client demanded a trial

SNF 🥥🌴

@Superninfreak

3 years

@Don_Zeko @LadiRadi They think your job is to convince your client to enter a guilty plea.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

In her childhood, my grandmother was denied an education because of a ban on hijabs in Iranian elementary schools at the time. Although extremely smart, she is barely literate today. Quebec's #Bill21 #loi21 is discriminatory and wrong-headed. It is shameful.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

1 year

Here we go, with @MayorOliviaChow 's green light

Javier Dávila #FreePalestine #NoOneIsDisposable

@XjusticeXpeace

1 year

Two cops are trying to stop Palestinians & supporters from flying flags & banners on the Roncesvalles bridge in Toronto for "safety reasons." Banners & flags are flown & hung here all the time for other events & protests without police interference. #FreePalestine #Toronto #APR

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

10 months

Hot take: instead of hiring more judges, prosecute fewer cases. Many cases aren't in the public interest, and scarcity of resources should force prosecutors to triage more judiciously. Because believe me: if you build it, they will come - courts will always be full to the brim.

Jacques Gallant

@JacquesGallant

10 months

New: Toronto sex assault case tossed over Ottawa’s failure to appoint Superior Court judges "Had the judicial positions in Toronto been filled, this case and others would not have been delayed" - Justice Maureen Forestell. via @torontostar

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

After more than 1 year of living together, my boyfriend is still routinely shocked that Iranian dishes take more than 3 hours to cook and "settle in" on the stove. #ghormehsabzi

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

8 months

I just made a donation, and I urge you to donate too. If my government will be complicit in genocide, I will not be.

Heidi Matthews

@Heidi__Matthews

8 months

Since I can't rely on my government to use my tax dollars to fund the lifesaving humanitarian services provided to Palestine refugees by @UNRWA , today I made my first personal donation. It's quick and easy. If your means allow, please consider donating:

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

2 years

Tory's legacy will be as an enemy of poor people #TOpoli

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

1 year

1/ Our bail system is already too strict. People routinely spend months in jail for crimes of which they are eventually acquitted - time they will never get back. People are also routinely denied bail EVEN WHEN the Crown isn't looking for an additional

Federal government proposes stricter bail system in new bill | CBC News

The federal government is proposing changes to the country's bail system that would make it harder for those accused of a range of different offences to be released on bail.

www.cbc.ca

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

3 years

Western leftists are sometimes incapable of solidarity with working people in the global south whose rulers feign anti-imperialism. But two things can be true: a state can be in conflict with the US and its own people at once. Iran's next President is a case in point. 1/

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

2 years

My Pride is political - and it is abolitionist. My freedom, my joy, is bound up in yours. Dare to imagine a more caring, less violent future. Abolishing the police & prisons requires a monumental social transformation. We deserve nothing less. Follow @NoPolicing #pride 🌈

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

4 years

This evening my mother's absence suddenly hit me hard. Next Monday it will be exactly 5 years since she passed away from cancer, and I really miss her. I would give anything to be able to talk to her agin, or to hold her. She was kind, wise, and full of love and light.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

8 months

Now we are suddenly in a manufactured moral panic about car theft. Each season a new crime is at the centre of attention, every time more jail time is on the agenda, and it never works.

Nora Loreto

@NoLore

8 months

Uhh the home page of has uhhh seven stories dedicated to car theft in Canada. Seven. I'm not sure I can think of an issue where I saw that much coverage before.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

2 years

It's refreshing to see this clarity of purpose in the criminal defence bar. Here's to becoming obsolete one day!

Chris Rudnicki

@chrisrudnicki_

2 years

We wanted to put our values front and centre. We are prison abolitionists. We do everything in our power to keep our clients free. These values animate everything we do – and they are the first thing you’ll hear about on our website.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

11 months

We are to disbelieve our own eyes and ears. How can CIJA have any credibility left? These chants are clearly addressing Trudeau, not the ancient and little-known Kingdom of Judah.

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Arash Ghiassi

@arash_ghiassi

2 years

#NewProfilePic because after I spelt my name and it was pronounced three times the Crown still called me Mr. Giraffee.

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