June 11, 2012 - 4:34 PM
MONTREAL - A Quebec student activist has been arrested while heading to his sister's funeral — a gesture his lawyer called "completely inhumane."
Mathieu Girard had found his sister's lifeless body.
He was riding with relatives when he was pulled over on the highway today, on the way to Saguenay, Que., for the funeral.
He was stopped near Montreal. Girard's lawyer says he could face criminal-mischief charges for acts committed during student protests.
Lawyer Veronique Robert, who represents many protesters, says people accused of mischief will usually receive a summons by mail or be asked to sign a promise to appear. She says her client would have been easy to find and she can't understand why he was arrested under such circumstances.
Police confirm a student protester was arrested and will appear in court tomorrow — although they won't say his name.
When asked why such an arrest would be made before a funeral, police said that when they pull someone over on the road they have no way of knowing whether that person might be trying to flee.
The arrest was made near St-Hyacinthe by provincial police, at the request of the Montreal municipal force.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012