Three Indigenous human rights defenders (HDR) who were part of a 2021 movement to block construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline on Wet’se’wet’en territory will face sentencing in Smithers, B.C. on Oct. 15-17.
In January, HDRs Sleydo’/Molly Wickham, Shaylynn Sampson, and Corey Jocko were found guilty of contempt of court for disobeying an injunction which prohibited attempts to impede construction of the pipeline.
The Honourable Justice Michael Tammen agreed to reduce the sentence in February after an abuse of process application was brought forward by the defendants’ lawyers, arguing that the RCMP used excessive force when arresting the HDRs and treated them unfairly while in custody.
The judge will also consider the Gladue report — a pre-sentencing process for Indigenous individuals that analyzes systemic and background factors which may have contributed to the case.
Amnesty International has condemned the conviction of the trio. Ketty Nivyabandi, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section, stated her disappointment.
“No one should be intimidated, harassed, or arrested, let alone convicted in a criminal court case, for exercising their constitutionally protected rights and protecting the natural environment we all share.”
Darien Johnsen is a UFV alumni who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with double extended minors in Global Development Studies and Sociology in 2020. She started writing for The Cascade in 2018, taking on the role of features editor shortly after. She’s passionate about justice, sustainable development, and education.