received orders to join in the Iraq War, Hinzman deserted, crossing the border into Canada with his wife and son. Life in Canada He filed a refugee claim upon his arrival in Canada, in January 2004. He was one of at least 28 soldiers actively seeking refugee status in Canada after deserting the United States military out of opposition to the Iraq conflict. While waiting for various legal decisions to be made on his case, Hinzman and his family continued to live in Toronto, Ontario. Hinzman, along with fellow deserter Brandon Hughey, has become a popular figure in the anti-war movement. He occasionally travels to other Canadian cities to speak on campuses and at peace rallies. Hinzman has also drawn criticism, and during his hearing stated that he has received death threats from American citizens. If and when his legal options are exhausted, Hinzman will then face the prospect of deportation from Canada and extradition to U.S. military custody. If he is ultimately deported, he faces court-martial in the U.S. Army. If the Army pursues a general court-martial, he could be sentenced to the punishment of up to five years in prison and a dishonorable discharge for the crime of "desertion with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service." In a 12 May 2005 media briefing, Amnesty International stated: Amnesty International considers Mr Jeremy Hinzman to have a genuine conscientious objection to serving as a combatant in the U.S. forces in Iraq. Amnesty International further considers that he took reasonable steps to register his conscientious objection through seeking non-combatant status in 2002, an application which was rejected. Accordingly, should he be imprisoned upon his return to the United States, Amnesty International would consider him to be a prisoner of conscience. Experience with the Canadian legal and political systems Hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Hinzman's first hearing was held from December 6 to December 8, 2004, at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), presided over by Coram Brian P. Goodman. It was the first of similar refugee applications. His lawyer, Jeffry House, pointed out a precedent set by federal court Judge Arthur Stone in 1995 who approved refugee status for a deserter from Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Stone wrote, "There is a range of military activity which is simply never permissible in that it violates basic international standards. This includes ...