Canada

Speak up, Mr. Harper – Guantanamo is a disgrace

posted on February 02, 2007 | in Category Canada | PermaLink

Original author: Joe Clark, Lloyd Axworthy, Flora Macdonald, Bill Graham, John Manley, Pierre Pettigrew
Source: The Globe and Mail
URL: [link]
Date: February 2, 2007

Special to Globe and Mail - Feb 2, 2007

As former Canadian foreign ministers, we are deeply concerned by how the U.S.-run detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, flagrantly violates human rights, undermines the rule of law, and sends a signal to other governments that it is acceptable to abuse the rights of their citizens.

Many government leaders, United Nations human-rights experts and organizations such as Amnesty International, have called on U.S. President George Bush to close Guantanamo. Canada has played a key role in defending human rights, but, so far, the Canadian government has been notably silent on this matter.

We urge Prime Minister Stephen Harper to speak up. He must press the U.S. government to deal with Guantanamo detainees, and all other detainees held in the "war on terror," in a manner consistent with international human-rights standards. He should appeal to the U.S. to respect the rule of law and close Guantanamo.

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Time to end Canadian complicity in torture

posted on October 22, 2006 | in Category Canada | PermaLink

Original author: Alex Neve
Source: The Toronto Star
URL: N/A
Date: October 19, 2006


Canada should not inflict torture, nor should it be complicit in the infliction of torture by others. That simple and sadly necessary reminder comes in Justice Dennis O'Connor's recent report from the public inquiry into the Maher Arar case.

In fewer than 20 words, he captures one of the most fundamentally important human rights lessons to emerge from Arar's tragedy of unlawful imprisonment and torture. Canada should never be complicit when it comes to torture.

Over the coming weeks, much has to be done to ensure that the entire range of O'Connor's recommendations go forward.

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One-fifth of Canadians support torture to save lives

posted on October 22, 2006 | in Category Canada | PermaLink

Original author: Don Butler, CanWest News Service
Source: The National Post
URL: [link]
Date: October 19, 2006

OTTAWA - One-fifth of Canadians and more than a third of Americans think governments should be allowed to use torture if doing so could extract information that saves innocent lives from terrorists, says a new poll.

Overall, though, a solid majority of people around the world oppose the use of torture under any circumstances, according to the poll, done by GlobeScan for the BBC.

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Air Canada to halt deportations aboard its aircraft

posted on October 03, 2006 | in Category Canada | PermaLink

Originl author: Press Release
Source: Air Canada website
URL: [link]
Date: Setpember 29, 2006

MONTREAL, September 29 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada has the pleasure of announcing to its clientele and the media the recent adoption of a resolution aimed at re-evaluating certain aspects of its periodic collaboration with the federal authorities in the area of immigration. During the 2006 Annual General Share-holders Assembly held in Montreal on May 30th, Resolution 2.3.28, initially brought forward by staff representatives of company board members, was formulated and adopted.

The resolution aims, among its principal goals, to provide a concrete response to concerns expressed by our clients, to conform to guiding principles of international associations concerned with the regulation of air transportation, and to increase on-board security of Air Canada aircraft.

Robert Milton, Chairman, President and CEO of ACE Aviation Holdings Inc, stated during his 30 May 2006 remarks, « … it is an idea which has long been in motion among foreign companies, and which I have communicated to the highest levels of Transportation Canada and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority; it addresses a problematic situation, whether we are talking flight safety, consumer confidence, or the simple logistics of flight reservations, check-in, and boarding.

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Federal lawyers to appeal Harkat's bail release

posted on July 13, 2006 | in Category Canada | PermaLink

Original author: CTV News Staff
Source: CTV.ca
URL: [link]
Date: July 13 2006

Lawyers representing the federal government argued Thursday that accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat should not have been released on bail last month.

The lawyers told the Federal Court of Appeal that Harkat posed a great threat to national security and should be returned to a special holding cell for suspected terrorists.

On June 21, Harkat returned to his Ottawa-area home after a Federal Court judge granted him strict bail conditions, citing "unexplained delays'' in the case.

Harkat had been held in jail on a controversial security certificate for more than three years over allegations that he has ties to al Qaeda .

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The subtlety of words: Are you Canadian or Canadian-born?

posted on June 19, 2006 | in Category Canada | PermaLink

Original author: Heather Mallick
Source: CBC News Viewpoint
URL: [link]
Date: June 16, 2006


I must admit that when I wrote an internationally syndicated column on Canada's arrest of 17 alleged terrorists this month, I did something I rarely do: I held back. I didn't want to tell other nations about commentary from Canada's media that I think is fuelling racism.

This was partly to protect Canada's reputation from distortion - we are not a racist country even if some columns appear to represent Canada in this way. But it was also because the world isn't interested in Canada, a reputedly dull, nice country. I didn't think anyone would have the faintest interest in a handful of ill-read nasties.

But the great British journalist Robert Fisk noticed and, on June 10, he wrote in The Independent, one of the world's finest newspapers, a column headlined "How racism has invaded Canada: What is the term 'brown-skinned' doing on the front page of a major Canadian daily?"

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Lawyers challenge security certificates at SCC

posted on June 18, 2006 | in Category Canada | PermaLink

Original author: CTV.ca News Staff
Source: CTV.ca
URL: [link]

(also several video news clips at that link)
Date: June 13 2006


The Supreme Court of Canada heard arguments Tuesday that the federal government is violating the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by holding foreign terror suspects indefinitely using security certificates.

The security certificates allow the government to detain the suspects without having to publicly disclose evidence, even to defence lawyers.

"Cases should be heard fully and publicly by an independent and impartial court," Johanne Doyon, lawyer for Moroccan-born Adil Charkaoui told the court.

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Top court set to scrutinize security certificate law

posted on June 09, 2006 | in Category Canada | PermaLink

Original author: Janice Tibbetts
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
URL: [link] (subscribers only)
Date: June 07, 2006


Under a shadow of revived anti-terrorism sentiment, the Supreme Court of Canada will spend three days next week examining one of the most controversial laws in the country involving terror suspects -- whether they can be detained indefinitely, without charges and without knowing the case against them.

The accusations of a homegrown terrorist plot are hardening Canadian attitudes toward terror suspects across the board and the alleged security threat could even be on the minds of the Supreme Court judges as they wrestle with balancing constitutional rights and public safety, experts said yesterday.

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Peace of their mind (Ottawa Peace March, Mar 2006)

posted on March 20, 2006 | in Category Canada | PermaLink

Original author: Nelly Elayoubi Source: The Ottawa Sun URL: [link] Date: March 19, 2006 Peach March, Ottawa, March 18, 2006
Sophie Harkat speaks to hundreds of anti-war protesters in Ottawa on Parliament Hill. This photo courtesy of YayaCanada. Visit Yayacanada.com for many more photos of the rally.

To beating drums and chanting voices, about 300 anti-war protesters marched through Ottawa yesterday, calling for an end of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. The rally was one of many protests around the world on the third anniversary of the invasion. Protesters moved down Sussex Dr. from the National Gallery to the U.S. Embassy, chanting "Health care. Child care. Anything but warfare!" "It's about peace and about countries not going out aggressively and trying to subdue and dominate the world," said Jo Wood, a member of the anti-war group Nowar-Paix. The rally featured a cross-section of protesters, from young students, to seniors, to families and singles, and a diverse ethnic spectrum, all calling on the U.S. to pull out of the war-ravaged country, while asking the Canadian government to support war resisters from the U.S.

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Harper chooses his cabinet

posted on February 06, 2006 | in Category Canada | PermaLink

Original author: Brian O'Connor Date: February 6, 2006 Stephen Harper was sworn in today as Canada's new Prime-Minister. He has announced the members of his cabinet. The three cabinet positions that are relevant to the security certificate detainees are: Minister of Immigration, Minister of Public Safety and Minister of Justice. The new Minister of Immigration is Monte Solberg. The new Minister of Public Safety is Stockwell Day. The new Minister of Justice is Vic Toews. More details here: Who's who in Harper's cabinet (The Toronto Star, Feb 6, 2006) Sorry, link has expired

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