BELLEVILLE, Ont. - Canada's Foreign Affairs minister is expected to discuss the case of an imprisoned Canadian woman on Monday when he meets with his Mexican counterpart.
Maxime Bernier is scheduled to meet with the Mexican official in Washington, D.C., to discuss the case of Brenda Martin, who has been imprisoned since February 2006 for alleged involvement in a multi-million-dollar Internet fraud scheme.
However, Martin's friend and advocate, Deb Tieleman, said she believes the only way the former resident of Trenton, Ont., is going to be released is if Prime Minister Stephen Harper intervenes.
"Unless this goes to the president, I dont think they'll let her out," Tieleman said.
She said Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon need to talk about the situation because previous efforts by Foreign Affairs have done little for her friend.
Earlier this month, Martin was placed on suicide watch and put in the prison's hospital ward out of fears for her own safety and her deteriorating mental state.
"I think they've got her medicated," Tieleman said, explaining she had spoken with Martin on Friday night and she seemed much calmer. "I keep telling her she has thousands of people here in Canada who want her free."
National media attention has thrown Martin's case into the spotlight and the Canadian government reacted to public scrutiny last week by issuing a diplomatic note of protest to Mexico. The note was issued days after Martin learned her constitutional challenge -- which stated her human rights had been violated -- was rejected by the Mexican courts.
According to the judge's ruling, Martin's human rights -- including access to a translator while being interviewed by police and during court appearances -- had not been violated. The judge also stated Martin had confessed to her crimes.
Martin's lawyer, Guillermo Cruz Rico, said Sunday her case is something new for him as he has never seen a constitutional challenge handled in such a way.
After reviewing the judge's ruling, he said only evidence from one side was considered in the decision.
"After we reviewed the ruling we decided to appeal the decision," Cruz said, adding Martin had given him permission to do so despite proclaiming last week she would not.
"The judge did not touch on any of our complaints in her ruling. According to the law, it is the judge's responsibility to review all the information but, in this case, the judge only mentioned the evidence in the criminal trial and none of the evidence I filed."
Cruz said he remains optimistic, adding there are three avenues which may lead to Martin's release. The first of those is the appeal and the second is the criminal trial Martin faces to answer to her charges. The final opportunity for Martin's freedom, he said, must come from Mexico's executive council.
