Here is a short audio message that Mohamed Harkat recorded which was played at his birthday party yesterday in his absence:


AUDIO: Message From Mohamed Harkat (Sept 6, 2008)

by Jon Willing Source: The Ottawa Sun URL: [link] Date: September 7, 2008 Lawyer admits frustration as client celebrates 40th birthday

The newest member of Team Harkat is no stranger to fighting tough legal battles, but even this one has Norman Boxall feeling like his hands are tied. "It's the most frustrating thing I've ever been asked to be involved in," the lawyer said yesterday at a 40th birthday party for Mohamed Harkat, the accused al-Qaida operative being monitored under a national security certificate. "You aren't permitted to do what a lawyer normally does," Boxall said. Boxall only joined Harkat's legal team two months ago and is already seeing the challenges of defending someone without knowing the complete details of the allegations. The feds earlier this year appointed a group of special advocates to protect the rights of those bound by security certificates, but personal lawyers are not privy to the information disclosed to the advocates. STAGE UNKNOWN

For that reason, no one really knows what stage Harkat's case is at. Boxall said a closed hearing might be scheduled next week, but he doesn't know where it is, when it is or what's supposed to be discussed. Harkat continues to live under strict bail conditions in Ottawa. The feds didn't clear Harkat to attend his own birthday party at Church of the Ascension, between Colonel By Dr. and Main St. His wife Sophie, who will turn 34 on Sept. 17, said Harkat last night was with her mother for a "pre-approved outing at a pre-approved location." About 50 people showed up for Harkat's birthday party and they left an empty chair in the middle of the room with his picture surrounded by streamers and balloons. Supporters were miffed that Harkat, who turned 40 on Aug. 6, wasn't permitted at his own party. "What do you gain by this? You gain creating a little more hardship for this guy," said Karen Markle, 46. Copyright © 2007, Canoe Inc. All rights reserved.

by Jennifer Campbell Source: The Ottawa Citizen URL: [link] Date: September 07, 2008 Supporters speak out after agency denies terror suspect permission to attend potluck The birthday boy thanked the assembled crowd for coming out to a party he couldn't attend.

Ottawa terror suspect Mohammed Harkat, who was released under strict conditions after having spent four years in jail under a security certificate, wasn't allowed to attend his own birthday party because the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which is responsible for monitoring Mr. Harkat's movements, said it would be a political gathering and that contravenes the conditions of his release. That came as a surprise to his wife, Sophie, who said they've received permission to attend potlucks together in the past. Under Mr. Harkat's conditions, they must make their outing requests 48 hours in advance. "It's a sad day for injustice in this country when the birthday boy can't attend his own party," Ms. Harkat said. So while friends and supporters gathered at a church on Echo Drive for what did end up being a political party -- but only after he was denied permission to attend -- Mr. Harkat spent the evening with his mother-in-law and his nine-year-old niece. He did, however, send a recorded message in his place. "It's a shame and a disappointment that I'm not able to attend," the former pizza delivery man and gas-station attendant said in the recording. "The struggle continues for my family and I.

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by Sun Media Source: The Ottawa Sun URL: [link] Date: September 5, 2008 Ottawa man held on Security Certificate under strict house arrest

Mohamed Harkat has been barred from attending his own 40th birthday party by the Canadian Border Services Agency. (File photo) Terror suspect Mohamed Harkat has been denied permission to attend his own 40th birthday party in an Ottawa church by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), his supporters say. The party is planned for Saturday at 5 p.m. at The Church of the Ascension. The Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee, in response, is opening up the party to all supporters. Supporters of Harkat, being held under strict house arrest on a terror-related Security Certificate issued by federal authorities, say every effort was made to comply with the conditions of his bail - which are among the toughest in Canadian history. The guest list was restricted to those already approved by CBSA for home visits, the venue was an Anglican church, and every effort was made to maintain a low profile for the event. All the court-appointed supervising sureties were going to attend. Despite these precautions taken by the Harkats, Canadian Border Services denied the outing on the grounds that the event would be too political. "It was going to be a birthday party. We have family and friends from all over, even from out of town, for this special occasion, people bringing food, and some music lined up. But there wasn't going to be speeches or anything political," said Harkat's wife Sophie. "We bent over backwards to do everything to comply with the court's control order on my husband. We really wanted this to be a fun, memorable evening for Moe." Sophie Harkat says the birthday party will go ahead anyway, even though the guest of honour will be at home. Organizers say the refusal to let Mohamed Harkat attend is creating exactly the type of situation the CBSA wanted to avoid -- that it has now taken on a distinctly political tone. Those in attendance will place an empty chair in the middle of the room to symbolize Harkat's absence. Copyright © 2007, Canoe Inc. All rights reserved.

by "Upcoming Events" Source: NOWAR-PAIX Website URL: [link] Date: August 19, 2008 Ottawa Premiere of Taxi to the Dark Side by Alex Gibney Thursday, September 11, 2008, 7 pm Bytowne Cinema, 325 Rideau Street

All proceeds go to NOWAR-PAIX and The Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee

We are selling advance tickets to help pay the up-front expenses for bringing "Taxi to the Dark Side" to Ottawa. Please consider buying your tickets now. How to buy advance tickets

For more information and to view a trailer for Taxi to the Dark Side www.nowar-paix.ca/taxi

by Andrew Duffy
Source: Canwest News Service
URL: [link]
Date: August 29, 2008


OTTAWA - The federal government is about to resume its epic legal campaign to deport five high-profile terror suspects.

All five of the country's security certificate cases have been scheduled to go before Federal Court judges in November and December - although there is one legal hurdle yet to clear.

The federal judges will be asked to determine the "reasonableness" of the security certificates based largely upon Canadian Security Intelligence Service evidence heard in secret. Reasonableness is a legal standard that is lower than those applied in criminal and civil court.

The five men targeted by the certificates include the Moroccan-born Adil Charkaoui, Hassan Almrei of Syria, Egyptians Mahmoud Jaballah and Mahamed Zeki Mahjoub and Algerian refugee Mohamed Harkat.

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by SHEEMA KHAN Source: The Globe and Mail URL: N/A Date: August 7, 2008 Canada fully understands and appreciates and shares the United States' concerns with regard to security. However, the Canadian government has every right to go to bat when it believes one of its citizens has been treated unfairly by another government. - Stephen Harper, Jan. 26, 2007

These words, spoken after settlement of the Maher Arar affair, were crafted to allay suspicions about Mr. Harper's willingness to stand up to the Bush administration on matters of Canadian sovereignty. However, in view of Ottawa's defence of the gulag that is Guantanamo, and its fear of upsetting Washington by allowing Canadian citizen Abousfian Abdelrazik to return from Sudan, we can be forgiven for suspecting that our PM is indeed beholden to George W. Bush. For many immigrants to this great land, the post-9/11 era is one of insecurity, in which they wonder: What value is my Canadian passport when travelling abroad? Will my government stand up for my basic rights, or trade them to curry favour with certain regimes?

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Source: TASC Email List
URL: N/A
Date: July 31, 2008


Join a Public Vigil at Skyservice and write to the executives of a company that is likely to receive the contract to deport Canada’s five secret trial detainees to torture...unless we can persuade them to refuse an act of complicity in torture

Monday, August 11, 12 Noon
Skyservice, 31 Fasken Drive (just west of Carlingview)

Rides from Downtown Toronto leave at 11 am
Call (416) 651-5800 or email [email] to book a seat or it you can help drive people to the vigil

If you are unable to attend, please email the company executives with a simple message: Please meet with representatives of Stop Canadian Involvement in Torture to discuss the serious human rights concerns they have been trying to raise with you since February, 2008. Please let us know if you receive any responses!
[email], [email], [email]


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Mohamed Harkat is 40 years old today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MO, FROM ALL YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS !!

par Hugo de Grandpré Source: La Presse URL: [link] Date: 9 juillet 2008 Les coûts liés à la cause de Mohamed Harkat dépassent les 850 000$, selon des documents obtenus par La Presse grâce à la Loi sur l'accès à l'information.

Cette somme, qu'Ottawa a pris soin de ne pas détailler, s'ajoute aux millions dépensés jusqu'ici pour tenter d'expulser les cinq hommes visés par un certificat de sécurité. Le gouvernement fédéral a arrêté Mohamed Harkat en 2002. Il a été relâché sous des conditions strictes en 2006. On accuse ce résidant d'Ottawa de 36 ans d'être un agent dormant d'Al-Qaeda. Les 850 000$ dévoilés dans des documents hautement censurés réfèrent à des services fournis par le ministère de la Justice à d'autres entités fédérales, comme le Service canadien de renseignement de sécurité. On ignore quels services sont visés : le Ministère a invoqué le «secret professionnel des avocats» pour refuser d'en dévoiler même les grandes lignes. On peut cependant présumer qu'ils ne touchent que des actes judiciaires, comme de la recherche juridique ou de la rédaction de procédure, et non de la détention ou de la surveillance, puisqu'elles relèvent d'autres entités fédérales. «Ça me paraît peu élevé», a tout de même jugé Sophie Harkat, conjointe de l'accusé. Selon cette ancienne fonctionnaire, les avocats du gouvernement sont payés cher et multiplient les représentations. «Cela m'étonnerait que ces 850 000$ incluent toute la préparation de dossiers», a-t-elle ajouté lors d'un entretien téléphonique. Le comité Justice pour Mohamed Harkat, dont elle fait partie, tente depuis un certain temps d'obtenir tous les coûts liés aux poursuites, à la surveillance et à la détention, mais sans succès. Mme Harkat souligne que son mari faisait l'objet des conditions de mise en liberté les plus strictes, parmi les cinq hommes visés par un certificat de sécurité au Canada. Ces conditions incluent la surveillance constante par deux agents, un couvre-feu entre 8h et 23h, un bracelet GPS et des caméras de sécurité placées à l'avant et à l'arrière de leur résidence.

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