Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich announced she has filed a lawsuit against the Ottawa Police Service and Crown prosecutor for their “malicious prosecution” of her.
“This isn’t just about me; it’s about stopping this kind of abuse so no Canadian ever faces it again,” Lich said in a statement on X April 29.
The lawsuit has also been filed against the Ottawa Police Services Board, the Attorney General of Ontario, the two Ottawa Police Services detectives assigned to the mischief case, and His Majesty the King in right of Ontario for “malicious prosecution and negligent investigation.”
Lich, who was one of the main organizers behind the 2022 trucker protest against COVID-19 vaccine passports and other pandemic restrictions, said she was put through the “longest mischief trial” in Canada’s history for her role in the “most peaceful and polite protest of all time.”
In addition to the 18 days that Lich spent in jail following her initial arrest, Lich also described how a Canada-wide arrest warrant was issued against her because of her presence at a Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms awards dinner in Toronto in 2022, which prosecution said was a violation of her bail conditions.
Lich had been ordered as part of her bail conditions not to have contact with other organizers, but was photographed alongside organizer Tom Marazzo. “There was no investigation. No call to my lawyer. It was issued like I was a violent criminal,” Lich said in the statement.
“Homicide detectives flew me back to Ottawa in leg shackles, I lost my job, precious time with my family, was denied bail, and spent 30 days in remand. All for a non-violent mischief case.”
Lich and fellow organizer Chris Barber were found guilty of mischief for their role in the protest, while Barber was also found guilty of counselling others to disobey a court order. The two were given 18-month conditional sentences, where they will be under house arrest for a year, with exceptions for work, court appearances, and medical emergencies.
The Crown had sought a seven-year prison sentence for Lich and an eight-year sentence for Barber. Prosecutors also sought to seize and auction off Barber’s truck, “Big Red,” which he used during the protest in Ottawa, but ultimately were unsuccessful.
The Crown has since filed appeals against the sentencing and acquittals of intimidation charges for Lich and Barber, while the two have filed appeals against their convictions and Barber is appealing his sentence.
Lich said she was filing the lawsuit in order to ensure the “Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is upheld for all Canadians,” and that the rule of law is applied equally to all Canadians. Lich also announced she is fundraising for the case through GiveSendGo.
Lich estimates that the lawsuit will cost around $100,000. Her campaign has already raised more than $19,000 through 169 donors.
The Ottawa Police Service and the Crown Attorney’s Office of Ontario did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment before press time.
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