by Sophie Harkat Source: Harkatjustice Email List URL: [link] (subscribers only) Date: April 26, 2008 Dear friends, As The World Turns ...come to court and find out...will the Harkats (Sophie & Moe) be forced to continue living with the evil ex-boyfriend who wants out ? Will Moe's strong headed mother-in-law be ordered by the Federal Court to sleep at the residence every night ??? Will The Young & The Restless be able to share a new residence without someone ending at the General Hospital ? Will the loving Anglican priest pass the CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) test to become the new supervising surety so Sophie can go to medical appointments alone...without Moe watching over with his big brown eyes during a routine physical ??? The Passion is there to fight against the surveillance cameras...will Sophie and Moe be Dancing with the Stars (Sophie's favourite show) without being watched ??? These are the days of our lives To find out more come to court: Wed. April 30th, 2008 at 9:30am Supreme Court of Canada Building 301 Wellington Street, OTTAWA

Hope to see you there ! Sophie

by Nigel Morris
Source: The Independent (UK)
URL: N/A
Date: April 10, 2008


The Government's anti-terror strategy suffered a blow yesterday when Abu Qatada, a preacher described as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe", won a court battle to stay in Britain.

The Home Office was also forced to abandon plans to deport 12 Libyans suspected of terrorism after the Court of Appeal gave a damning verdict on promises they would not be tortured in their home country.

Tony Blair laid plans to expel terror suspects after the July 7 London bombings by negotiating "memorandums of understanding" (MoUs) with Middle Eastern and north African countries that they would not be harmed. But the policy is in ruins after the court blocked deportation of Abu Qatada to Jordan and of two Libyans.

Britain signed MoUs with Jordan, Libya and Lebanon in 2005, but has struggled to reach agreement with Algeria, the home country for several terror suspects.

Abu Qatada has been convicted of terrorism in his absence in Jordan. He has been in jail in Britain since 2001 as the UK seeks to deport him. But the court registered fears yesterday that evidence that might he used against him in Jordan would be obtained by torture. It also backed the appeals of two Libyans – AS and DD – on the basis that the Government failed to give enough weight to the risk of torture.

Abu Qatada remains in custody as the Home Office contemplates a new appeal against the court decision.

The pressure group Human Rights Watch said: "These cases show the Government should stop trying to deport people to countries whose justice systems are deeply tainted by torture and other abuses."

Source: The Independent

TML Daily <[email]> wrote: April 15, 2008 - No. 56 No to Secret Trials, Secret Evidence, Indefinite Detention and Deportation to Torture! Abolish Security Certificates Montreal, February 26, 2008 • No to Secret Trials, Indefinite Detention and Deportation to Torture! • Federal Court Holds Third Hearing for Security Certificate Detainees Under New Legislation - Christian Legeais, Spokesperson, Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee • Secret Hearing to Determine Conflict of Interest for Special Advocates • Secrecy Piled on Secrecy: Democracy Day in Secret Trials Land - Matthew Behrens, Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada • Independence Controversy Swirls around New Special Advocates - Cristin Schmitz, The Lawyers Weekly • Private Member's Bill Tabled to Amend Security Certificate Act • New Security Certificates Law Escapes Both Public Scrutiny and Democratic Dissent - Wade Deisman and Mike Larsen • Join the Caravan to End Canadian Involvement in Torture, Toronto-Ottawa, May 1-9, 2008 - Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada United States • Charges Against Mohammed Kamal Elzahabi Dropped Europe • Court of Human Rights Bans Deportation to Torture === Go directly to the CPC(ML) website: [link] SUBSCRIPTON: You or someone has requested to be added to the TMLD mailing list. If you wish to remove your address, write to [email]

by Don Butler Source: The Ottawa Citizen URL: [link] Date: April 15, 2008 Judge's ruling clears path for Paul Copeland to see secret evidence

A Federal Court judge has cleared the way for lawyers for Mohammed Harkat and three other terror suspects to act as special advocates for their clients in secret evidentiary hearings. Though the final decision rests with the trial judges in each case, yesterday's ruling by Justice Edmond Blanchard means Paul Copeland is eligible to be appointed as special advocate for Mr. Harkat and Hassan Almrei. Similarly, lawyer John Norris can be considered for the same role on behalf of terror suspects Mohammad Mahjoub and Mahmoud Jaballah. Government lawyers had argued that Mr. Copeland and Mr. Norris were in a conflict of interest because they were acting as lawyers for the four men in their security certificate cases. The government also objected because Mr. Copeland is counsel for Abdullah Almalki and Mr. Norris represents Muayyed Nureddin at the Iacobucci inquiry, which is investigating the cases of three Arab-Canadian men -- Mr. Almalki, Mr. Nureddin and Ahmad Elmaati -- who alleged they were tortured in Syria. However, the government withdrew its preliminary objections after Mr. Copeland and Mr. Norris undertook to withdraw from those roles if they are appointed as special advocates. In light of those withdrawals, Judge Blanchard found yesterday the Federal Court no longer had to rule on the alleged conflict of interest. The undertakings announced yesterday effectively mean any secret information Mr. Copeland and Mr. Norris are exposed to as special advocates cannot be used to help clients involved in related matters.

[ Read the rest ... ]

by Canadian Press
Source: The Globe and Mail
URL: [link]
Date: April 15, 2008


OTTAWA - Legal obstacles have been cleared for two lawyers to become the first special advocates appointed in Canada to protect the rights of accused terrorists.

The federal government dropped its objections to the appointment of Paul Copeland and John Norris after the two lawyers agreed to end their involvement in other national security cases that might have put them in a conflict of interest.

It will be up to the judge designated to hear each case to choose a special advocate for each accused. However, the fact that the government has dropped its objections likely clears the way for Mr. Copeland to act as special advocate for Hassan Almrei and Mohamed Harkat, and for Mr. Norris to represent Mahmoud Jaballah and Mohamed Zeki Mahjoub, all accused of terrorist acts.

All four were initially detained under Canada's secretive security certificate process, under which the government was able to present evidence behind closed doors, without lawyers representing the men.

Last year, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down security certificates as unconstitutional. In response, the government rewrote the law to allow security-cleared lawyers, known as special advocates, to attend the closed hearings, challenge government evidence and protect the rights of the accused.

The agreement struck between the federal government and Mr. Copeland and Mr. Norris was summarized in a Federal Court order yesterday.

The government was concerned that the two lawyers, as special advocates, would be privy to secret information.

In particular, the government insisted neither lawyer be involved in future with the Iacobucci inquiry, which is investigating the claims of three men who say they were tortured in Syria as suspected terrorists.

© Copyright 2008 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.

by Robert Fisk Source: The Independent (UK) URL: [link] Date: April 5, 2008 Westerners assume that anyone with a Canadian passport is safe

I was given the chance to talk to 600 Muslim Canadians a few days ago. The dinner was in an Ottawa banqueting room and the guests also included the imam of the Ottawa mosque, the Ottawa chief of police and sundry uniformed Canadian army officers. The imam sat between me and the Canadian capital's top cop – a genuinely decent guy who wanted Muslim Canadians to regard him as a friend – and we were even able to joke about the reality of those "random checks" which Muslims of Middle Eastern origin and a certain R Fisk seem to receive at North American airports. All well and good, then, until I got up to speak. I warned the audience they might not like all they heard from me. And sure enough, when I told the audience that they were perfectly at liberty to condemn Israel and America – indeed, that they should condemn both when they abuse human rights, occupy other people's countries and shoot innocent civilians – but that I wanted to know why I so rarely heard them condemn the vicious police states in the Middle East and other areas of south-west Asia from which they originally came, I was greeted with silence. A smattering of Muslim diplomats sat like statues, thus identifying the cruelty of their regimes. The only immediate applause came when I remarked that the moment Western soldiers started shooting at Muslims in Muslim lands, it was time for the soldiers to withdraw.

[ Read the rest ... ]

par Alexandre Popovic Source: CMAQ URL: [link] Date: 1 septembre 2007 Le SCRS et l'art de la manipulation médiatique (1er d'une série de 5) Comment des informateurs du SCRS se sont fait passés pour des leaders de la communauté musulmane canadienne

Les cas de Youssef Mouammar et de Mubin Shaikh Par Alexandre Popovic MONTRÉAL, 1er septembre 2007. Ici comme ailleurs, la paranoïa collective du grand public est garante de l'épanouissement des services secrets. Plus la population devient craintive et peureuse, plus elle ressentira le besoin d'être protégée contre les diverses menaces, réelles ou fictives, qui planent sur sa sécurité. Et parmi ces organismes publics qui sont mandatés pour jouer ce rôle de protecteur, l'on retrouve les obscurs et énigmatiques, mais ô combien influents et puissants services secrets, dont la raison d'être consiste justement à identifier ces menaces qui pèsent contre la sécurité nationale. Plus la peur se répand parmi le grand public, moins les autorités gouvernementales se montrent hésitantes à donner carte blanche aux services secrets. Après tout, rien de mieux qu'une populace effrayée pour que les services secrets deviennent les enfants gâtés de l'État, de véritables chouchoux à qui l'on ne peut rien refuser. Les services secrets ont donc tout intérêt à veiller à ce que le climat de peur ne cesse jamais d'être alimenté.

[ Read the rest ... ]

Source: The Canadian Press URL: [link] Date: April 9, 2008

OTTAWA — The federal government says it can't help a lawyer for Canadian terror suspect Mohamed Harkat get access to an al-Qaida operative held by the Americans. Paul Copeland has been trying for months to make contact with Abu Zubaydah, a key lieutenant of Osama bin Laden imprisoned at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo, Cuba. Copeland wants information to help clear Harkat's name. So far, he has been rebuffed by U.S. authorities and has appealed to the Canadian Justice Department for help. But federal lawyer David Tyndale, in a letter dated April 7, indicated that Ottawa isn't prepared to help referee the dispute. "As I am sure you appreciate, the conditions under which counsel may communicate with Mr. Zubaydah at Guantanamo Bay is a matter to be determined by American authorities," Tyndale wrote. He also rejected a claim by Copeland that Canada, by refusing to get involved, is denying Harkat the fundamental justice guaranteed to him under the Charter of Rights.

[ Read the rest ... ]

Source: The Canadian Press
URL: N/A
Date: April 3 2008


OTTAWA -- The Supreme Court of Canada has turned down an effort by accused terrorist Momin Khawaja to challenge federal secrecy law.

In a ruling released without comment, the court refused to hear Khawaja's claim that the legislation violates his right to fundamental justice and a fair trial.

At issue is a portion of the Canada Evidence Act, under which the government can refuse to disclose sensitive intelligence to an accused person on national security grounds.

The law provides for review of the disputed material by a judge, but only at a close-door hearing the defendant can't attend.

Khawaja was the first person charged under the federal Anti-Terrorist Act passed in the wake of the 9-11 attacks. He has spent four years in jail but has yet to face trial because of preliminary wrangling over various points of law.

The Crown says he was part of an al-Qaida-inspired cell that plotted bombings in Britain in 2004. Six other men were convicted last year in London, but the charges against Khawaja were laid in Canada rather than the U.K.

By "TASC" - [email]
Source: Secrettrials-org Email List
URL: N/A
Date: April 2, 2008

As if special advocates needing special advocates in secret hearings were not enough, next week the Senate is convening a secret hearing to discuss secret hearings as well. Deeper and deeper into the ditch we go..... -TASC (Matthew Behrens)

- - - - - - - - -

French text follows / Le texte français suit)

Sent: Wednesday, April 2, 2008 2:38 p.m.
Subject: ANTI-TERRORISM (SPECIAL) - Notice of Meeting for Monday,
April 7, 2008 / ANTITERRORISME (SPÉCIAL) - Avis de convocation pour
le lundi 7 avril 2008

ANTI-TERRORISM (SPECIAL)

NOTICE OF MEETING
Monday, April 7, 2008 1:30 p.m.
Room 160-S, Centre Block
IN CAMERA

AGENDA Study on the provisions governing the security certificate process set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, S.C. 2001, c. 27, as recently modified by An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (certificate and special advocate) and to make a consequential amendment to another Act, S.C. 2008, c. 3, as well as conduct a review of the operation of that process in the context of Canada's anti-terrorism framework.

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