This morning, as I opened my e-mail, I found a glimmer of
hope that the nightmare for Ernst is going to end soon - only to receive
another blow by the utterly corrupt judicial system in Canada. I assume the
challenge on the part of the Arab detainees will now go to the Supreme Court
of Canada - as it will, separately, under the appeal our Canadian legal
defense team has filed.
Secret trials: Canada's worst dirty little secret?
Prominent Canadians demand abolition of "security certificates"
OTTAWA, Dec. 10 /CNW Telbec/ - The federal government must
abolish security certificates, hold open trials for all detainees and not
deport them, prominent Canadians demanded today in Ottawa. Across the
country, people staged actions in honour of December 10th, the
International Day for Human Rights, to bolster those demands.
Five Muslim men have waited a combined total of over 174
months in Canadian jail cells without bail, charges or evidence that even
their lawyers can't access. All face the risk of deportation into torture.
"The security certificate process does not conform to
a number of essential international legal standards," said Alex Neve,
General Secretary of Amnesty International Canada (English-speaking
branch). "Justice and security will prevail only when we disallow
violations of fundamental human rights such as arbitrary detention and
torture, and instead institute fair proceedings. But the security
certificate denies both justice and security."
Supporters of Mohamed Harkat and the four other Muslim men
being held on security certificates released a statement signed by over
300 groups and individuals sharing Neve's concerns.
Notable signatories include NDP leader Jack Layton, singer
Bruce Cockburn, film-maker Denys Arcand and former Progressive
Conservative MP Flora MacDonald, all of whom share strong concerns about
the weakening of fundamental human rights in Canada in the name of the
"war on terror". Organizational supporters include the Law Union
of Ontario, the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations, labour
unions, Amnesty International and nineteen other human rights
organizations.
"These secret trials may be Canada's worst dirty
little secret," said Deborah Bourque, President of the Canadian Union
of Postal Workers. "This security legislation clearly comes from a
fear-based government agenda that gives police and courts more power while
integrating Canadian and U.S. policies on immigration."
Riad Saloojee, Executive Director of the Canadian Council
on American-Islamic Relations, spoke of the fear that the detentions have
evoked in the Arab and Muslim communities.
"For many Canadian Muslims and Arabs, security
certificates embody an arbitrary and non-transparent legal process that
they never expected to find in a democratic country they now call
home," said Saloojee. "Muslims and Arabs have unfortunately been
the most common casualties under this deeply flawed process."
Today's day of action against secret trials sees events
and actions happening in Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax,
among other cities.
The Muslim men being held are: Hassan Almrei, Syrian, held
since October 20, 2001; Adil Charkaoui, Moroccan, held since May, 2003;
Mohamed Harkat, Algerian, held since December 10, 2002; Mahmoud Jaballah,
Egyptian, held for 9 months in 1999, cleared of allegations, held again
since August 2001; Mohammad Mahjoub, Egyptian, held since June, 2000. A
sixth man, Ernst Zundel, a German, has been held since February 2003.
More information on the Muslim detainees: ://www.zerra.net/freemohamed
For further information: Jessica Squires, Justice for
Mohamed Harkat, Committee: (613) 328-5831; Pour de plus amples
renseignements en français, veuillez contacter: Christian Legeais,
Comité d'appui à Mohamed Harkat,(613) 276-9102
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/News/2004/12/11/777232.html
Sat, December 11, 2004
Canada Briefs Column
By SUN NEWS SERVICES
SECURITY CERTIFICATES UPHELD AS JUSTIFIABLE
OTTAWA -- Security certificates won a federal court's
stamp of approval yesterday, just as critics ramped up a campaign to
abolish the government's use of the "secret trials" for
terrorist suspects.
Yesterday the Federal Court of Appeal upheld a 2003
decision that declared the use of security certificates constitutional.
The ruling was a blow to Adil Charkaoui, a 31-year-old
Moroccan native accused of being a sleeper agent for terrorist group al-Qaida.
He is being held under a security certificate with Syrian Hassan Almrei,
Algerian Mohamed Harkat and Egyptians Mahmoud Jaballah and Mohammad
Mahjoub.
Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel is also detained under a
certificate.
The six men are now indefinitely jailed in Canada and
force deportation under security certificates -- five of them Muslims
labelled threats to national security.
Marking International Human Rights Day, advocates lined up
to condemn the "affront to democracy and justice."
