On the 8th of February 2022, Canadian Army veteran Matthew Dupre arrived home in Sylvan Lake, AB from a holiday in Thailand with an old army buddy. With a new baby on the way, this seemed like the last chance they’d have to re-visit this unique nation for some time. His fiancée was heavily pregnant, and he was looking forward to the arrival of their daughter and a new chapter in their lives.

A few days after he got home, he got a call saying he was in the Thai news, accused of being part of a gang related murder conspiracy. This was the beginning of a 16-month nightmare.

Matt contacted a lawyer for advice but had little choice but to wait to see what would transpire. He and his fiancée’s hopes that this was just an error to be cleared up were dashed when, on the 15th of February, RCMP officers broke into their home and cabin, searched both properties, leaving $11,000 dollars in damages. Matt’s fiancée had her vehicle taken and phone forcefully seized with no legal warrant. She was unable to enter her home and was left on foot and in early labour with no way to call for help.

After a long night of interviews, Matt was released to return home with snow blowing through the badly damaged front door.

On February 19th, Matt’s fiancée went into labour and early on the morning of the 20th, she gave birth to their daughter at home. About 18 hours later the RCMP returned and Matt was arrested, leaving his fiancée at home with a newborn baby. They also took her new phone, once gain leaving her with no way of calling anyone.

On the evening of the 21st, the RCMP returned to talk to Matt’s fiancée. She was alone with a 1-day old baby and in a physically and mentally fragile state. The officers clearly saw her situation as an opportunity to put her under pressure, making several false statements and showing her photos of stacks of cash, claiming they had been found on her phone and claiming that ‘she was involved’ in the conspiracy.

In the meantime, Matt was also shown multiple photographs of stacks of cash, with the same claim. Matt called out their deception as only an experienced former light infantry NCO could.

Subsequently, it’s been confirmed the photos were simply downloaded from the internet.

Over the next year Matt attended multiple hearings in which the Crown Prosecution Service presented the details of the extradition request from the government of Thailand. He and his fiancée were forced to cancel their wedding plans for September 2022, leaving his fiancée and baby in a more precarious position than they’d otherwise have been in.

After spending the next 15 months in remand in Alberta, on Friday the 26th of May 2023, Matt was extradited to Thailand to face an investigation and, if Thai authorities deem there is sufficient evidence, a trial for being involved in the murder of an international criminal gang member in Thailand.

Matt’s extradition and prosecution raise several key concerns. Canada’s current extradition treaty with Thailand was enacted in 1994 and has no review process. The structure of the treaty does not require the Thai authorities to present evidence of a criminal offence to trigger extradition, but merely provide official statements that Thai authorities have evidence to justify a prosecution. Therefore, an extradition hearing in Canada does not review available evidence and relies on the Thailand having a functional judicial system.

Unfortunately, Thailand since had two military coups, in 2006 and 2014, and been wracked by political corruption plus judicial and police extortion rackets. Despite pro-democracy protests in 2020-2021 including unprecedented demands for reform of Thailand’s monarchy, structural features of the Thai constitution have ensured the military’s hold on power and related corruption and human rights violations. In 2014, Thailand was rated ‘Not Free’ on the Freedom House Index and after the 2014, Thailand had their highest number political prisoners imprisoned for three to fifteen years for being critical of the government.

An example of the problem: (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/26/thai-police-chief-accused-of-killing-suspect-in-custody-is-arrested)

In Matt’s case, the representative of the Thai AG, in a meeting with Matt’s lawyer, offered to make the case ‘go away’ for $1 million US.

Unfortunately, this is the political and judicial quagmire that Matt and his lawyer face in Thailand. While his lawyer believes Matt is facing a weak case that would already have been thrown out in the Canadian or American judicial systems, there’s no guarantee that the Thai police and courts can be relied on to dispassionately view the case based on its merit.

So, who is Matthew Dupre? Well, it’s best you read it in his own words:

“I served my country with the 1st bn of the Royal Canadian Regiment and I was in the military for close to a decade. During my military career I had many achievements I am proud of, including winning the ‘Soldier’s Cup’ while being part of the Canadian Forces small arms competition team competing in Australia. I completed many training missions domestically and abroad, participated in a huge multi-national training exercise in Norway and completed a multitude of technically challenging courses and qualifications. The pinnacle of my military service was a combat deployment to Afghanistan.

I lost my childhood best friend in Afghanistan to a terrible IED strike in April 2007. That loss really changed my life and since then I’ve lost many other friends to suicide and other PTSD related illnesses from their service in Afghanistan.

After leaving the military in late 2013, I was made aware of the horrible atrocities that the terrorist group ISIS were committing in Iraq and Syria. I then volunteered to go train and fight alongside the Kurdish Peshmerga in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2014. After several successful operations defending key strategic positions and heated battles against the enemy, I decided to go to Syria where the fighting was fiercer and I felt that my help was more needed. I completed that tour of service with the Kurdish Peshmerga in Syria.

In 2015 I attended the European Security Academy in Poland. While there I received the following qualifications, Close Protection Operative course, Combat First Aid Level 2, Defensive Marksmanship Course, Private Military Contracting Course and Krav Maga hand-to-hand self-defence course.

Upon receiving my certifications, I returned a second time to Kurdistan in 2016 as a private contractor. I worked as head of security and training for a Kurdish private security company. My responsibilities in the company were to generate training curricula for the different types of security officers employed by the company. (Bank Security guards, close protection guards, QRF teams, static and mobile security teams). I instructed a wide range of subjects ranging from basic firearms safety, body searches, use of force continuum, detainee handling, vehicle searches, use of communication systems, weapons and tactics for pistols and rifles.

After my second period of service in Kurdistan I spent a year in South Africa from 2017 to 2018. During that time, I received my USPA (United States Parachute Association) C licence, free pilot 1 canopy piloting courses and over 250 free-fall parachute jumps as well as my free-fall coaching licence.

I went back to work in Iraq in 2019, to Baghdad this time, as a close protection officer for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian Embassy in the diplomatic setting. During my time in Baghdad, there was much civil unrest with riots in the streets daily. Our compound was mortared daily and the US embassy, 400m from our compound, was almost burnt to the ground by angry militia protestors. There were often gunfights in the streets. It was very high stress environment requiring discipline and professionalism to complete my duties. While I was working for the Saudi Arabian Embassy the Iranian General Suleimani was killed by a US drone strike just outside the Baghdad Airport, causing huge unrest and chaos in our area of responsibility.

Since returning home from my third rotation in Iraq, I have undertaken domestic work as a close protection officer in Canada and worked for high profile wealthy clients in Ontario and British Columbia, both private and corporate.

I am a loving father of 4 beautiful kids. I am a patriotic Canadian and have always felt the calling to protect the vulnerable. I have put my life on the line multiple times voluntarily to protect who can’t protect themselves. I am not perfect and have made mistakes along the way, but I am a good man, and I am proud of who I am and all of my accomplishments as a loving husband and father.

Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you all and please pass this on as you see fit.

Pro Patria”

In addition to his Canadian lawyer, Matt has a good lawyer in Thailand with extensive experience in the Thai justice system, but there are many challenges facing them in the coming months. Just sharing his story among your friends and family would be appreciated.

In keeping with an effort to keep the process honest, Matt and his lawyer will ensure that everyone is kept up to date on the case in Thailand as they become available.

Our aim for this campaign is threefold:

1. Funding Matt’s legal battle in Thailand.

2. Maintain pressure on Thai authorities to ensure Matt receives a just hearing.

3. Prayers x lots!

Your help with any will be gratefully received.

Finally, who am I? I’m a retired Royal Air Force officer. When I left the military, I determined to do my best to do what I could, through my business and privately, to support fellow veterans and build a community around them.

This is how I met Matt. When Matt found out about the accusations against him, he was uncertain about what might happen so asked me to look out for his family and I promised I would.

Stew Staudinger

Squadron Leader (Ret’d)