Ottawa terror suspect Mohamed Harkat has won the right to move from his current home, now poisoned by a failed romance between his landlord and mother-in-law. At the end of a day of mostly private negotiations between lawyers, Federal Court Justice Simon Noël announced yesterday a deal had been reached to facilitate a long-sought-after move to a new condominium townhouse for Mr. Harkat and his wife, Sophie. "Nothing comes easy in life and this is just another example," Judge Noël said after hours of negotiations. The judge announced that the Harkats would move next Tuesday from their basement apartment to a nearby townhouse. To satisfy national security concerns raised by federal authorities, he said, the Canada Border Services Agency will be allowed to install cameras inside the Harkats' new home. The cameras will be pointed toward the front and back doors. Sophie Harkat called it a "bittersweet victory" since she did not want cameras installed at their new home. "I'm happy we're moving, but we've been through enough. I think we've given too much already," she said.Mr. Harkat and his wife currently live in the basement of a home that belongs mostly to Alois Weidemann, a retired Citizen employee and the former romantic partner of Ms. Harkat's mother, Pierrette Brunette.

Ms. Brunette moved out of the house last November after the acrimonious collapse of that relationship, leaving Mr. Weidemann with the Harkats in his basement.

Mr. Weidemann, who was in court yesterday, expressed relief at the outcome, which will finally remove the Harkats from his life. "It's not quite all over yet and I will believe it when I see it," he said. "But I'm very glad about this: It was a long time in coming."

The judge said his solution yesterday was a compromise between the positions of the Harkats and the government, which did not want the Harkats to move unless outside surveillance cameras were installed.

However, the condominium corporation refused to approve the installation of the cameras, which left the Harkats and the government at loggerheads.

Judge Noël's order will also allow Mr. Harkat to live in his new home with only one supervising surety, his wife.

"This is to help the third parties involved in this situation to have a life of their own," Judge Noël said, citing Mr. Weidemann and Ms. Brunette.

The Harkats will be in court later this year to argue that the strict bail conditions under which they live should be relaxed.

Under terms of his release in June 2006, Mr. Harkat must wear an electronic monitoring device at all times. He cannot leave Ottawa and cannot use a cellphone or computer.

His current house has security cameras in front and back that record who enters and who leaves. He's allowed three four-hour excursions every week, plus daily walks, but he must be in the company of a court-approved surety at all times.

Mr. Harkat was arrested on the strength of a national security certificate in December 2002.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service alleges that he is an al-Qaeda operative who once operated a guesthouse for jihadists in Pakistan.

Mr. Harkat has denied any connection to terrorism. A hearing on the reasonableness of the government's case against him is expected later this year or early next year.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008