The six-year campaign against secret trials won a major victory in February when the Supreme Court ruled that security certificates were unconstitutional. However, the Harper government has already announced that it will introduce NEW security certificate legislation this fall. This is likely to be based on the “special advocate” model, which will further entrench the use of secrecy in the immigration and justice systems.Harper will be asking us to accept a new kind of unfair, secret trial and a different way of practicing racism. His government will be counting on Canadians to continue to accept the violation of the rights of immigrants, indefinite detention/house arrest and the practice of holding people under threat of deportation to torture. The decision to introduce new security certificate legislation is an affront to democracy and to justice. No amount of tinkering can make a process fair that is essentially discriminatory, applying only to people without citizenship status. It is a process that relies on the alleged good faith of spy agencies and politicians, that replaces precise charges with vague concepts, that uses secret suspicions, profiling and association instead of evidence, and that has no end except deportation to further torture. It assumes immigrants are potential “threats to national security”. It cannot be reformed, and must be eliminated. Let’s oppose new legislation that will only feed the national security agenda and allow CSIS to continue to target certain communities with impunity. Let’s insist that the secret trial five, along with their families, be freed from the daily humiliation and indignity of draconian house arrest conditions and the ongoing threat of deportation under an unconstitutional law. GET INVOLVED!
We are planning a Canada-wide day of action for Saturday, October 20 and seeking groups that can respond within 48 hours of new legislation being introduced in Parliament. Join us on Saturday, October 20th to resist racist paranoia and send a resounding message to the government: 1. No New Security Certificates; 2. Immediately free the five from all conditions or charge them and provide them with a full, fair, and open trial; 3. End deportation proceedings against the five; 4. End deportations to torture; and 5. Close "Guantanamo North”. TO JOIN IN: 1. Write and call your MP and let them know that you are counting on them to vote against the new security certificate legislation (and that NO fancy window dressing, such as so-called special advocates, can fix a fundamentally flawed and unfair regime) (Postcard / sample letter available from [email] or [link] you can find your MP’s contacts via [link]) 2. Be part of the emergency response network that will organize actions within 48 hours of the government introducing new security certificate legislation. Contact [email] if you would like to participate. 3. Get your group to endorse the coast-to-coast-to-coast day of action on Saturday, October 20. Send an email to [email] to endorse. 4. If you plan to organize a march or rally or other action on October 20 and would like to be included in the joint press release for the day of action, please email [email]. For more information: Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada, [email], (416) 651-5800
