By The People’s Commission Network, Dec. 9, 2010
Federal Court Judge Simon Noel today ruled to uphold the security certificate against Mohamed Harkat as “reasonable”.
December 10th is International Human Rights Day and the 8th anniversary of Mohamed’s arrest under a security certificate. On December 10th, people in Ottawa and Montreal will come together to protest this unjust and horrible decision:
OTTAWA VIGIL
December 10th, 2010 at 5pm
Human Rights Monument (corner of Lisgar and Elgin)
Bring your candles, lanterns, flashlights, signs and banners…bring your friends!
More information: www.justiceforharkat.com
MONTREAL PROTEST
Friday, 10 December, noon
CSIS Offices
715 Peel Ave. (corner of Ste-Antoine, at Bonaventure metro)
More information: commissionpopulaire@gmail.com
Stop Secret Trials in Canada!
Abolish Security Certificates!
Mohamed Harkat was arrested on December 10th, 2002 under a Security Certificate without charge or access to the evidence. Detained for 43 months, he spent one year in solitary confinement. Released in June of 2006, he was placed under the toughest conditions in Canadian history. His Canadian wife was his full-time jailer and prisoner in her own home.
Now he faces deportation to torture…all under a veil of secrecy for National Security reasons. CSIS alleges, assumes, believes…would you trust them with your life?
BACKGROUND
In February 2007, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the security certificate process as failing to meet constitutionally guaranteed human rights. A year later, the government issued new security certificates against Mohamed and four other Muslim men under a slightly modified, but still fundamentally unjust, process. In September 2009, most of Mohamed Harkat’s conditions were lifted. If the certificate is upheld by the Federal Court, Harkat could be deported to Algeria.
Mourad Ikhlef was deported to Algeria under a security certificate in 2003. Canadian officials handed him directly to the DRS, the notorious Algerian intelligence agency. He was held incommunicado and statements that he made under duress during that period of detention were later used to sentence him to prison. See Canadian Press, “Canada Delivers Deportee into arms of abusive Algerian secret police”, 16 December 2009: www.adilinfo.org/en/node/637.
In 2009, the Federal Court threw out the security certificates against both Montreal teacher Adil Charkaoui and Toronto-based Hassan Almrei, after years of struggle. Both have launched lawsuits aimed at holding the government accountable for the injustices they suffered. So far the government has refused to apologize or make reparations. For more information: www.adilinfo.org.
MORE INFORMATION
Justice for Harkat website
www.justiceforharkat.com
“Experts reflect on the reasonableness of the reasonableness hearings,”
Mohammed Adam, The Ottawa Citizen, 4 September 2010
www.justiceforharkat.com/news.php?cat.65
What’s a security certificate?
www.adilinfo.org/en/what-is-a-security-certificate