A three-day sentencing hearing is underway for the Coastal Gaslink land defenders that were arrested in November, 2021, during what Amnesty International calls a heavily militarized raid on We’su’weten territory.
Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham), a Wing Chief (Cas Yikh), Shaylynn Sampson, and Corey “Jayohcee” Jocko were arrested.
Sleydo, Sampson and Jocko were charged with, and later convicted of, defying what Amnesty International calls a controversial BC court order forbidding land defence actions near the construction of the Coastal Gaslink liquefied natural gas pipeline.
Amnesty International says their research has concluded that the injunction order unduly restricts the human rights of the land defenders and the Indigenous rights of the Wet’suwet’en nation - and that by extension, the arrests and prosecution of the land defenders represent a serious violation of their rights.
In a February ruling, A B.C. Supreme Court judge found members of the RCMP made “grossly offensive, racist and dehumanizing” remarks during the injunction enforcement and arrests.
The arrested were carrying recording devices, which captured conversations between police officers. The judge described those recorded conversations as “highly offensive and clearly racist”.
Due to this, Chief Sleydo’ Molly Wickham, Shaylynn Sampson, and Corey Jocko will receive reduced sentences.
Representatives from Amnesty International are in attendance at the sentencing hearing, which is expected to conclude Friday.