| Franco D. Pillarella | |
| Birth Date: | 1941 |
| Nationality: | Canadian |
| Alma Mater: | University of Ottawa (BA, LL.L) |
| Occupation: | Diplomat, lawyer |
| Office1: | Canadian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Algeria |
| Term Start1: | 10 July 1997 |
| Term End1: | 2000 |
| Predecessor1: | Jacques Noiseux |
| Successor1: | Richard Belliveau |
| Order1: | 15th |
| Monarch1: | Elizabeth II |
| Primeminister1: | Jean Chrétien |
| Office2: | Canadian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Syria |
| Term Start2: | 26 July 2000 |
| Term End2: | 2003 |
| Predecessor2: | Alexandra Bugailiskis |
| Successor2: | Brian Davis |
| Order2: | 14th |
| Monarch2: | Elizabeth II |
| Primeminister2: | Jean Chrétien |
| Office3: | 15th Canadian High Commissioner to Cyprus |
| Term Start3: | 26 July 2000 |
| Term End3: | 2006 |
| Predecessor3: | Alexandra Bugailiskis |
| Successor3: | Marta Moszczenska |
| Monarch3: | Elizabeth II |
| Primeminister3: | Jean Chrétien |
| Office4: | 5th Canadian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Moldova |
| Term Start4: | 31 July 2003 |
| Term End4: | 2006 |
| Predecessor4: | Raphaël Girard |
| Successor4: | Marta Moszczenska |
| Monarch4: | Elizabeth II |
| Primeminister4: | Paul Martin |
| Office5: | 14th Canadian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Bulgaria |
| Term Start5: | 31 July 2003 |
| Term End5: | 2006 |
| Predecessor5: | Raphaël Girard |
| Successor5: | Marta Moszczenska |
| Monarch5: | Elizabeth II |
| Primeminister5: | Paul Martin |
| Office6: | 12th Canadian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Romania |
| Term Start6: | 31 July 2003 |
| Term End6: | 2006 |
| Predecessor6: | Raphaël Girard |
| Successor6: | Marta Moszczenska |
| Monarch6: | Elizabeth II |
| Primeminister6: | Paul Martin |
Franco D. Pillarella is a Canadian diplomat and lawyer who has held several positions within Canada's Foreign Service. He has held ambassadorships to Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Algeria, and Syria. He was also high commissioner to Cyprus.[1]
He is also known for his involvement in controversial diplomatic incidents, including the Maher Arar case.[2]
Born in 1941, Pillarella earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1963 and a Bachelor of Civil Law in 1966 from the University of Ottawa. He became a member of the Bar of Quebec in 1967 before joining Canada’s Department of External Affairs later that year.[3]
Pillarella’s career in diplomacy spanned numerous postings and roles both abroad and in Canada.
He served in various capacities abroad, including postings in Bonn, Milan, Rome, Algiers, and The Hague. From 1988 to 1992, he was the Consul General in Berlin.[3] In 1997, Pillarella was appointed as Canada’s Ambassador to Algeria. And later went on to serve in a similar capacity in other countries.[1]
Domestically, Pillarella worked in several divisions of the Department of External Affairs, including the Legal Operations Division, the Francophone Institutions Division, and the Human Rights and Social Affairs Division (1986–1988). In the late 1990s, he was Director of the Foreign Intelligence Division.[3]
Pillarella’s ambassadorship to Syria became a focal point during the Maher Arar inquiry, which examined Canada’s role in the detention and torture of Canadian citizens abroad.[2]
As Ambassador to Syria in 2002, Pillarella facilitated intelligence sharing between Canadian and Syrian authorities. His testimony during the inquiry revealed conflicting roles, as he both sought Arar’s release while relying on information from Syrian interrogations. Despite Arar's claims of torture, Pillarella initially trusted Syrian officials' assurances that Arar had not been mistreated. The inquiry raised significant questions about Canada’s involvement in practices that indirectly condoned torture.[2] [4]