[LINK] "Hey, remember Richard Colvin?"

[rfmcdonald]

CBC's Kady O'Malley writes about what's been happening lately with Richard Colvin, the Canadian diplomat whose information about the possible torture of Afghans detained by Canadian soldiers following their transfer to Afghan government may have precipitated the suspension of Parliament.

Turns out that he hasn't been having much success in getting around what his lawyer, Owen Rees, describes as "the significant obstacles that the Government of Canada has put in Mr. Colvin's way in accessing independent legal counsel and obtaining the legal indemnification to which he is entitled as an employee of the Public Service of Canada."

In a letter filed with the Military Police Complaints Commission earlier today, Rees reveals that the government has "failed to even respond to [their] client's request," which is "a matter of grave concern for Mr. Colvin, as its "continued inaction ... is impeding [their] client's ability to participate as a witness before the Commission with the assistance of independent legal counsel, which is appropriate and necessary given the complexity of the legal issues raised, including the Government's claims of national security confidentiality."

Given all that, Rees writes, Colvin has been left with what seems a not unreasonable conclusion, under the circumstances:

Coupled with the Government's public attacks on Mr. Colvin and his testimony before the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan (the "Committee"), our client is left with the reasonable belief that the denial of further legal indemnification is a reprisal for his participation before the Committee and the Commission.

The full text of the letter can be found under the jump. As for what it all means, well -- we might have a better idea of what lies ahead for Colvin, not to mention the currently chair-less MPCC's investigation into the Afghan detainee issue, later this week, when his lawyers will file submissions on the "privilege asserted by the Government of Canada."

Grand. "O Canada" indeed.