Oath and/or declaration of Libero Sauro, in support of Guiseppe Grittani, January 24, 1941

Oath and/or declaration of Libero Sauro, in support of Guiseppe [sic] (Joseph) Grittani, January 24, 1941, two pages.

Rev. Libero Sauro was arrested on September 7, 1940 and held at Don Jail before being transferred to Petawawa Internment Camp.

After his release, Sauro continued to help other Italian Canadian internees and their families. In this sworn declaration, he is testifying to the character of Joseph Grittani, whom he knows through his work with the Order Sons of Italy (OSI). He notes Grittani's displeasure with the way the OSI was being presented as a fascist organization in fascist newspapers. Grittani was interested in publishing a paper that would counter this perspective.

Under the DOCR (Defence of Canada Regulations), after 30 days, internees could formally object to their detention to an advisory committee appointed by the Minister of Justice. The Minister of Justice then appointed a judge to review the internee’s case. This meant an examination of the RCMP’s evidence against the internee, meetings with the internee, and interviews with witnesses who could attest to the internee’s character. After this, the judge either recommended an internee’s release or continued internment to the Minister of Justice.

This document forms part of a collection of documents and other materials donated by the Sauro family.