Wife of freed Paris bombing suspect fears ordeal isn't over

The wife of freed bombing suspectHassan Diab fears there could be a long road ahead before her family's nine-year ordealfinally comes to an end.

Diab, a former University of Ottawa professor, was arrested by RCMP in November 2008 and spent three years under house arrestbefore he was extradited to France in 2014. He was charged with first-degree murder in a 1980 Paris synagogue bombing that killed four people, and spent the last three years in prison.

Diab, 64, always denied involvement, maintaining he had been in Lebanon at the time of the attack. Eight previous attempts to free him failed when his bail request was denied by French judges. His case never went to trial.

Hewas released Fridayafter French authorities dropped terrorism charges against him due to a lack of evidence.

'Deeply disappointed'

French prosecutors have said they plan to appeal the latest decision.

They don't want to admit they made a mistake.- RaniaTfaily, wife of HassanDiab

"I am deeply disappointed," Diab'swife,Rania Tfaily,told CBCRadio's Ottawa Morning Monday.

"I had hoped that the fact that they were acknowledging that there are serious doubts, and thereis evidence that proved he was not in France, that reason would prevail," said Tfaily, an associate professor at Carleton University.

"They don't want to admit they made a mistake," shesaid."It would make them look bad because they have pursued aninnocent man all of this time. So it's just a continuation of the same path, despite all of the problems in the casethat they admit."

Uncertain future

Tfaily is unsure his time in prison has affected her husband, and what kind of issues her family may have to deal with. Diabwas in solitary confinement and spent 23 hours a day in his cell, deprived ofcontact with family and friends.

Tfailywas seven months pregnant when Diabwas extradited, and said her husband hasonly seen his son a few times over past three years. Her sonand his older sister have grown up without their father, Tfailysaid.

Any visits with her husband were shortnormally about 45 minutes and phone conversations between the couple usually focused onthe children, or on Diab'scase.

"It's going to take some time to see how much trauma there is," she said.

Awaiting papers to return

Tfaily said she'san anxious person by nature, and this has only made it worse.

"I often tell people if I am interacting a certain waythat I don't mean anything negative, it's just that I'm anxious," she said.

For now, Tfaily will have to wait a little longer to seeher husband on Canadian soil.Diab's French lawyers told CBC News that he is now in Paris, but he lacks the documents to leave the country.

Tfaily saidthey are now working with the Canadian embassy to get the necessary paperwork.