A newspaper in the United Kingdom is reporting the lawyers of the accused in Owen Sound restaurant owner Sharif Rahman’s death are arguing the condition of Canadian prisons could violate their clients’ human rights.
The Times UK says they appeared at the Edinburgh Sheriff’s Court last week for a preliminary hearing in their extradition cases, and lawyers said they requested an expert’s report on conditions in Ontario prisons. The Times says a defence lawyer cited concerns about overcrowding and access to healthcare. The UK newspaper reports that the Sheriff Court justice requested information on which prison the accused would be in, if they were extradited to Canada.
Robert Evans, 24 years old, has been charged with manslaughter. Robert Busby Evans, 47 years old, has been charged with accessory after the fact to commit indictable offence. Barry Evans, 54 years old of the UK is charged with accessory after the fact to commit indictable offence.
They were in Canada on visitors visas when Rahman was assaulted outside his restaurant The Curry House on 2nd Avenue East in downtown Owen Sound on Aug. 17, 2023 and died one week later, on August 24th, 2023 from injuries he suffered. He was 44-years-old, and left behind a wife and a young daughter.
Police say the assault was related to a dispute connected to the restaurant.
A full hearing in the extradition process for the three men is scheduled next month, on May 29, at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
