Freedom Cannot Be Manacled
- Dawn Bader
- Dec 7, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Dec 8, 2023
December 7, 2023
One of the most poignant books I have read is Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom. It is a mammoth door-stopper sort of book with close to 700 pages…in small print.
This autobiography details his life, which included spending 18 out of the 27 years he was incarcerated, on an island off the west coast of South Africa.
His crimes? He stood up against the long-existing apartheid policies that fueled segregation in the country. He lost his family, his home, and his livelihood. He lost almost three decades of his life. His story is one of hardship, perseverance, and triumph.
I was fortunate enough to set foot where he was for those 18 years, Robben Island, just off the west coast of South Africa in 2017. As I approached the dock by boat, I saw the phrase “Freedom Cannot Be Manacled” painted in large print on the wall of a building.
Nelson Mandela left Robben Island in 1982 and the prison there shut down in 1991. Mandela went on to become President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
My mind has been wandering to the atrocities of South Africa and how the people who were standing up for their freedoms were treated. The people in power treated certain people unjustly because they questioned the government’s treatment of them.
Though a worthy discussion, his story of being a political prisoner and the story of South Africa’s apartheid is not the focus of this blog.
My mind has been wandering to Nelson Mandela as a political prisoner in South Africa because four men are being held as political prisoners right now in Canada. Most people are unaware of what is happening and why.
This blog is for these four men.
This blog is for the Coutts 4.
Who are the Men Dubbed the Coutts 4?
Their names are Jerry Morin, Chris Lysak, Anthony(Tony) Olienick, and Chris Carbert.
The four men are regular Alberta citizens with families and friends. They were contributing members of their communities.
Jerry Morin is a power lineman from the Calgary region. He is married and has 3 children.
Chris Lysak is an electrician from Lethbridge. He is a single dad to two children. His kids are staying with his 74-year-old father while he is being detained.
Tony Olienick is the owner of a small construction company. He lived on a farm outside of Calgary with his 81-year-old mother.
Chris Carbert is a contractor from Lethbridge. He is a full-time single dad to two children.
The two Chris’ are friends. No one else knew each other before the Coutts protest.
What Did They Do to Get Arrested?
All four men attended the Coutts blockade that was occurring in support of the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa.
The men were arrested separately between February 13th and 14th, 2022.
They were initially charged with mischief, however, the charges were soon trumped up to include conspiracy to murder RCMP members.
They were put into remand centers. Remand centers are holding areas where people are kept before they are processed into the jail system.
Where are They Now?
They are still in remand centers located in Alberta.
That’s 652 days in custody as of today, December 7, 2023, if you are counting.
652 days.
The stories of how these men are being treated while housed in the remand centers should make anyone with a beating heart cringe. Here are some examples:
Jerry Morin has estimated that he has spent approximately 90 days in solitary confinement.
Tony Olienick has estimated he has spent approximately 40 days in solitary confinement. Tony also has SIBO(an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine) which requires probiotics to manage. He is unable to access the probiotics while in the remand center (they will not allow him to have them) so he has lost a significant amount of weight and is in continual discomfort. At the time of this writing, he is in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.
Chris Lysak has had to cut the toes off his shoes he was issued from the remand centre to fit properly. He is a tall guy, and he is sleeping on the floor because he isn’t being given an appropriate sleeping surface to accommodate his size.
I remind you that this treatment is happening in a remand center. In Canada.
652 days.
Why This Matters to You
These were random arrests. The men all maintain their innocence. It appears they were cherry-picked from the people who were at Coutts in support of the truckers.
Whether you agreed with the Coutts protest or the Freedom Convoy is a moot point and shouldn’t even factor into the equation of seeing this for what it is. Due process is not being followed.
Basic law requires a presumption of innocence. “Innocent until proven guilty” is a phrase everyone is familiar with.
The legal system nor the government of Canada are not honouring this presumption.
The men have not been granted bail and continue to be housed in the remand centres.
The courts can deny bail if they feel that the person is a flight risk. They can also deny bail if they feel that the person is a danger to the public.
Neither is the case in this situation.
Bail can also be denied to maintain confidence in the administration of justice. For this reason, in this case, one perhaps has to look to Justin Trudeau invoking the Emergencies Act on February 14, 2022 and how the Coutts 4 cases might be linked.
Based on some of the testimony at the public inquiry earlier this year that questioned Trudeau doing this, some of the witnesses stated that the Emergencies Act was called because of the protest that was occurring at Coutts. It wasn’t only for the protest in Ottawa. If the Coutts 4 are found to be innocent and the evidence fabricated, this would put a large dent of doubt into Trudeau’s reason for the Emergencies Act.
His house of cards would come crashing down.
Further, the treatment of the Coutts 4 IN the facilities should also be of interest...and concern...to you.
One wouldn’t expect the conditions these four men are being confined to be the same as Nelson Mandela's time on Robben Island in the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s. But here we are. In the 2020’s.
Nelson Mandela was at least allowed to go outside daily.
What Can You Do?
The mainstream media has already convicted these men in the court of public opinion. Their coverage of the Coutts 4 has been one-sided and sparse.
If you have only received your information about these men and their situation from MSM, you probably believe they are guilty and deserve whatever they are getting. You may not even give a second thought that they have been held without the option of bail for 652 days.
Something is amiss with how the legal system is handling this situation.
Innocent until proven guilty seems to have been tossed out of a window.
Do know that it is not normal to not be granted bail.
It is not normal procedure to be kept in remand for this long.
Some people don’t know about these men and their situation. Some are surprised they are still in jail without bail.
While the rest of the country has returned to moving around freely, these four men have been locked away.
652 days and counting.
It’s past time that more people know about them.
If this can happen to them, who’s next?
Here are some ideas of how you can help:
Help spread the word by saying their names.
Jerry Morin.
Chris Lysak.
Tony Olienick.
Chris Carbert.
Talk about their story.
Having four men in a remand center for 652 days with no bail and being treated the way they are should be known by everyone. Consider that people who murder people are often granted bail while waiting for trial.
Write letters.
1. If you are in Canada, write your provincial MLA. This holds especially true if you live in Alberta. The MLAs of Alberta should be at the very least, sticking up for their citizens. They instead are hiding behind “this is a federal matter and we can’t do anything about it.”
They would speak or take action if an Alberta citizen was confined this way in another country.
Why won’t they advocate for these men for how the federal government is treating Albertans?
You can find your Alberta MLA by using this link: Members of the Legislative Assembly
2. If you are in Canada, write your federal MP. There has been zero discussion in Parliament on this. Ask why this is not being addressed.
You can find a contact list for the federal MPs at this link: Current Members of Parliament - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada (ourcommons.ca)
3. Write to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Ask why these men were arrested and why they can’t have bail to be with and provide for their families.
His email address is justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca
4. Write to the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre. Ask why he won’t bring this up in Parliament.
His email address is pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca
5. Write to the leader of the NDP party, Jagmeet Singh. Ask him why he is silent on this topic.
His email address is Jagmeet.Singh@parl.gc.ca
6. Regardless if you are from Canada or a different country, write to the Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada, Arif Virani. Ask him why these 4 men are not allowed bail and are being treated inhumanely. Ask him if this is the way Canada treats its citizens.
His email address is mcu@justice.gc.ca
Write directly to the four men.
This gives them hope to continue. Six hundred and fifty-two days without the freedoms that people take for granted would be grueling on the psyche. Having no end in sight would also be daunting.
The letters must be on plain paper and be written in black or blue ink. No stickers, crayons, paint or markers allowed. The envelope must be a basic white envelope that is clearly addressed. The mail is opened and reviewed before it is given to them.
Their addresses are as follows:
Tony Olienick
Inmate #2200620
Medicine Hat Remand Centre
874 2nd Street SE
Medicine Hat, AB
T1A 8H2
Jerry Morin
Inmate #2182289
Calgary Remand Centre
12200 85th Street NW
Calgary, AB
T3R 1J3
Chris Carbert
Inmate #1322255
Lethbridge Correctional Centre
PO Box 3001
Lethbridge, AB
T1J 3Z3
Chris Lysak
Inmate #1477491
Lethbridge Correctional Centre
PO Box 3001
Lethbridge, AB
T1J 3Z3
Donations.
This is always a difficult request. Giving money to causes or individuals that aren’t “registered” can be considered suspect by some. No, you won’t get a tax receipt but you can know that the money is being used by these men in the best way possible for each of their individual needs. I am not sure you can say that when you donate to some of the bigger charities.
Legal fees are grossly enormous. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent already in this capacity and they haven’t even gone to trial yet.
You should also consider that these men have families that they provided for and bills to pay. By not granting them bail, they haven’t been able to work. This has been financially devastating. If they had at least been given bail, they would have been able to work. They have lost their jobs, their businesses, and their livelihoods.
There used to be a general fund that people could donate to. This has since been changed so that you can donate to each man separately.
If you desire, you can donate to them via etransfer or GiveSendGo. Here is the information for that:
Jerry Morin:
Chris Lysack:
Chris Carbert:
Tony Olienick:
You can also donate to them through their inmate accounts at the remand centres. This is not the best way as the money in these accounts is for phone time, electronic time, extra food, and even salt.
Yes, salt must be purchased.
At the end of the month, any credit that is still in their accounts is removed. It no longer belongs to them and so, can’t be used by them.
It is recommended that if you donate, do so directly to the men. It can go to their greatest need determined by them and their loved ones.
If you are worried that you will be scammed or the money will be used inappropriately, then I would suggest that you don’t donate. If you can’t trust, don’t donate.
Do know this situation is very real and any donations are very much appreciated.
Summary
Regardless of how you view their guilt or innocence, I hope that you see there is something wrong with the process that is unfolding. Being held for this long without bail is more than suspect. Their treatment has been inhumane. These four men are political prisoners in Canada.
My mind wanders back to the words I saw as I approached Robben Island.
Freedom Cannot be Manacled.
The men are holding their ground to this point to make sure this phrase is true.
The system is not playing fair.
652 days and counting.
However you are able, helping them continue is paramount to all our freedoms and safety in our legal system.
Thank you for reading.
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