Social justice has found its way into trials related to the Coutts Border Blockade. Coutts Trio member Marco Van Huigenbos said Crown attorneys have requested Ontario Tech University (OTU) Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism Director Barbara Perry testify in the Coutts trials. “Today, under oath, she testified that she believes most right-wing extremists are WHITE, CHRISTIAN, and MALES!” tweeted Van Huigenbos..Perry has studied right-wing extremism. Alberta Justice said it wanted to make Perry an expert witness for the Coutts Four and maybe for the Coutts Trio. The Coutts Four consists of Anthony Olienick, Chris Carbert, Christopher Lysak, and Jerry Morin. They were charged with conspiracy to commit murder of RCMP officers.The Coutts Trio pertains to Van Huigenbos, George Janzen and Alex Van Herk. They have been charged with mischief over $5,000.If it uses experts with a radical worldview, Van Huigenbos said it “can create very concerning case law.” While this tweet could land him in some hot water, he said the truth of this matter “needs to see the light of day.” “Justice [David] Labrenz must throw out any attempt to legitimize this disgusting, radical racist!” he said. “Her opinion has no place in Alberta courts.”Perry refused to provide a list of 300 right-wing extremist groups operating in Canada she had compiled when asked for them in 2021. She said she would not be releasing the information for at least another few months, despite her sitting on the list for two years. When asked why, she explained releasing the list would not make sense unless the data were couched within a larger published report such as one she had been planning. OTU used a provision of the Privacy Act in 2023 to prevent the release of a list of the 300 far-right extremist groups operating in Canada, which has been cited by the federal government to bolster anti-hate legislation.OTU administrators cited certain exceptions which bar the release of records “associated with research conducted or proposed by an employee of an educational institution or by a person associated with an educational institution.” “The request in this case is for specific details regarding methodology of the research project, as well as the data obtained through research which clearly meets and exceeds the threshold for exclusion from FIPPA (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act),” said the OTU registrar. Lysak and Morin accepted a plea deal in their conspiracy to commit murder case on February 6.
