By Aedan Helmer
Source: Canoe CNEWS Network
URL: [link]
Date: February 24, 2008
Accused terrorist refutes evidence after CSIS declassifies portions of case against him
Mohamed Harkat feels like he's starting over from scratch.
The Algerian-born Ottawa resident, who has been fighting to clear his name of ties to al-Qaida, was served notice Friday that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service has declassified portions of its case against him.
The government filed new security certificates against Harkat and four other men accused of having terrorist ties, following new legislation that came into effect Friday.
SEEKS 'FAIR TRIAL'
CSIS presented a 105-page document to Canada's Federal Court, outlining charges against Harkat that would make him "inadmissible on security grounds" and therefore subject to deportation.
"I don't have any things to hide," insisted Harkat from his Herongate home, where he remains under house arrest. "All we've been asking for is a fair trial where everything is open. It's very hard for me to defend myself if somebody puts evidence in front of a judge that I haven't even seen. There is no opportunity to defend myself."
On Friday, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson appointed 13 special advocates to "protect the interests and rights" of those who are subject to security certificates.
By Matthew Behrens
Source: The Campaign To Stop Secret Trials in Canada
URL: [link]
Date: February 24, 2008
New Allegations, Same Old Secret Trials
Scare Headlines and Character Assassination a Typical Diversion from the Undemocratic Nature of Security Certificates
(update from the Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada)
February 24, 2008 -- In typical government style, a series of rehashed ancient suspicions, new unfounded allegations, and outright lies against secret trial detainees Mahmoud Jaballah, Mohammad Mahjoub, Hassan Almrei, Mohamed Harkat, and Adil Charkaoui were “released” last Friday afternoon. Conveniently, there was little or no opportunity for informed journalists to put things into perspective and get beyond the fear-mongering the allegations are meant to inspire.
In a highly politicized move, the Federal Court of Canada for the first time posted on its home page the so-called “public summaries” of the cases against four of the five Muslim men subject to security certificates. (Why four out of five? In perhaps another sign of the incompetence of the CSIS sponsors of secret trials, one of the summaries is attributed to the wrong guy. As if that weren’t bad enough, a summary package hand delivered to another of the detainees had a cover letter addressed to...someone other than himself!). There is no context to these Federal Court postings, no explanation that these are only unproven allegations based on speculation about some possible past, present, or future behaviour, no chance for those whose names are slandered through this process to respond. They are simply there as “official-looking” documents that doom the reputations of those who have yet to have a hearing. And when they do get to court, they will be told that the basis for these allegations is a secret neither they nor their lawyers can challenge.
From: "RPCIS-Mtl" <[email]>
(english below)
MANIFESTATION D'URGENCE
mercredi, le 27 février, 16h30
Devant les bureaux du SCRS et de l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada
(AFSC), sur Peel au coin de Ste-Antoine (métro Bonaventure)
Vendredi passé, Adil Charkaoui, Mohammad Mahjoub, Mahmoud Jaballah, Hassan
Almrei et Mohamed Harkat ont été informés que des nouveaux certificats de
sécurité avaient été émis contre eux, en vertu de la toute nouvelle loi des
certificats de sécurité.
Joignez-vous à nous MERCREDI pour une manifestation d'urgence contre les
nouveaux certificats de sécurité et pour exiger que le gouvernement :
1. libérer immédiatement, sans conditions, les cinq détenus des certificats
de sécurité ;
2. leur accorde un procès juste et ouvert, si des preuves existent vraiment
contre eux ;
3. abolisse les certificats de sécurité ;
4. mette fin aux procédures de déportation contre les détenus des
certificats de sécurité et mette fin à la déportation vers la torture ;
5. cesse son utilisation raciste des communautés musulmanes, arabes et
autres communautés ciblées comme des boucs émissaires.
Par Mario Girard et Catherine Handfield Source: La Presse URL: [link] Date: 24 février 2008
Le renouvellement de cinq certificats de sécurité à l’endroit d’Adil Charkaoui et de quatre autres individus soupçonnés d’entretenir des activités terroristes suscite l’indignation générale. Malgré les nouvelles allégations publiées samedi qui accompagnent ces certificats, plusieurs doutent de l’existence de preuves valables pouvant mener à de véritables accusations.
Il y a un an, la Cour suprême concluait que des certificats de sécurité émis par le gouvernement au sujet de résidants canadiens d’origine musulmane étaient illégaux. Après avoir récemment procédé à une refonte de la loi sur l’immigration qui inclut maintenant la notion d’» avocat spécial », le gouvernement publiait hier de nouveaux certificats. Il rendait également publiques de nouvelles informations concernant ces cinq individus.
Ces allégations visent Adil Charkaoui, qui aurait essayé d’obtenir un emploi à l’aéroport de Montréal après avoir discuté de la préparation d’un attentat avec d’autres personnes. Elles visent aussi les Égyptiens Mahmoud Jaballah et Mohamed Zeki Mahjoub, l’Algérien Mohamed Harkat et le Syrien Hassan Almrei, qui ont fait l’objet d’écoute téléphonique et de diverses observations.
Par Catherine Handfield
Source: La Presse
URL: [link]
Date: 23 février 2008
Mohamed Harkat, un ancien livreur de pizza âgé de 39 ans, est originaire d'Algérie. Il est arrivé au Canada en 1995 et a obtenu son statut de réfugié deux ans plus tard. Il a été arrêté à Ottawa en décembre 2002 et libéré en mai 2006 sous de strictes conditions, dont celle de porter en tout temps un dispositif de télésurveillance.
by Colin Freeze, Tu Thanh Ha and Omar el Akkad Source: The Globe and Mail URL: [link] Date: February 23, 2008
OTTAWA and MONTREAL -- The case against a group of Canadians sometimes referred to as "the Secret Trial Five" isn't as secret as it used to be.
Ottawa unveiled more specific allegations against the five terrorism suspects yesterday: for example, that one suspect called the satellite phone of al-Qaeda's second-in-command, and that another was in charge of a group of training camp recruits in Afghanistan.
In hundreds of pages of court documents yesterday, Canadian ministers signed new security certificates against alleged members of the al-Qaeda network. In doing so, the government narrowly beat a date imposed by the Supreme Court for the previous certificates to expire.
Jim Bronskill (CP)
Source: The Toronto Star
URL: [link]
Date: February 23, 2008
CSIS information outlined in newly filed documents in security certificate cases
OTTAWA–A Montreal man accused of terrorist ties displayed secretive and violent behaviour and once discussed commandeering a commercial aircraft for "aggressive ends," Canada's spy service alleges.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service allegations against Morocco-born Adil Charkaoui came late yesterday as Ottawa renewed efforts to deport five men accused of terrorist links.
By Stewart Bell, Graeme Hamilton and Allison Hanes
Source: The National Post
URL: [link]
Date: February 23, 2008
CSIS opens files on terrorism suspects
Deportations Urged
Federal officials opened up their secret files on five suspected members of the Osama bin Laden network yesterday, disclosing previously classified details of their alleged terrorist activities in Canada.
Hundreds of pages of documents filed in Federal Court in Ottawa lay out for the first time the evidence that has led the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to conclude the men are foreign terrorists.
The court filings also reveal the array of intelligence-gathering tactics used against the suspects, from telephone wiretaps to clandestine searches, suggesting a new willingness on the part of CSIS to go public with its secrets after years of fighting to protect them.
The case summaries include quotes from wiretaps.
Source: Email correspondence of Sophie Harkat
URL: N/A
Date: February 22, 2008
Special Advocates for Bill C-3 (Security Certificates under
the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act)
February 22, 2008 – The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today named 13 special advocates, as part of the Government’s legislation to amend the security certificate process under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).
Parliament has passed legislation to strengthen and improve an immigration process that is designed to protect Canadians from threats while respecting individual rights and freedoms.
Under the legislation, which came into force on February 22, 2008, the Minister of Justice is responsible for establishing a list of special advocates. Special advocates – who are qualified lawyers - will protect the interests and rights of individuals who are subject to security certificates, ensuring they are adequately represented during closed proceedings.
After consultation with various organizations such as the Canadian Bar Association and the Federation of Law Societies, the Department of Justice issued a Request for Expression of Interest (EOI) for the special advocates program on December 20, 2007.
Through an independent process, qualified candidates were recommended to the Minister of Justice. The list of special advocates follows:
* Ronald G. Atkey
* Nancy Brooks
* Gordon Cameron
* Paul D. Copeland
* Paul J. J. Cavalluzzo
* François Dadour
* James R. K. Duggan
* Brian Gover
* Anil K. Kapoor
* Barbara McIsaac
* John Norris
* Lorne Waldman
* Ivan G. Whitehall
Source: TamilNet
URL: [link]
Date: February 22, 2008
The Canadian Parliament's Bill C-3, enacted on February 12, came into force Friday, amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act 2000, one day before a Supreme Court deadline expired. The 2000 Act enabled the Government to detain and deport non-nationals it deemed inadmissible. Bill C-3 is in response to Supreme Court criticism that the security certificate regime was unconstitutional because it deprived concerned individuals of the opportunity to defend themselves because evidence cited for the government's decision to detain or deport could be withheld from the individuals, their legal representatives and the public under terms of national security.
There are five North African and Arab men and one Sri Lankan Tamil currently under the (old) IRPA legislation.
Click on the photo of Mohamed to see all items related to him. JUNE 2017: Mohamed Harkat once again faces deportation to his native Algeria after the Supreme Court of Canada declared the federal government’s security certificate regime constitutional.
This fight is not over. The Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee will re-double its efforts to see that justice is done for Mohamed Harkat and that the odious security certificate system of injustice is abolished once and for all.
