Original author: unsigned editorial
Source: The Toronto Star
URL: [link]
Date: June 30, 2005

Canada has had to detain few people as terror suspects since the 9/11 attacks. We have four Arab men in custody. They arrived here, were deemed inadmissible as terror suspects, and are being held on "national security certificates" as they fight deportation. A fifth is free until his case can be decided, but is tightly monitored. That is a small group.

Even so, Canadians are increasingly troubled by this controversial business of holding people for years without putting them on trial.

And rightly so, because it is an affront to human rights.

As Alexandre Trudeau noted this week, "it's in the interest of Canada to not be detaining people who haven't been charged" with a crime.

Trudeau made his statement at a Federal Court bail hearing for Hassan Almrei, a Syrian who has been held at the Metro West Detention Centre for 3 1/2 years. Trudeau and other prominent figures have offered to post bail.

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