Original author: Sophie Harkat
Source: Harkat Email List (Zerra.net)
URL: [link]
Date: October 3, 2005
Dear Friends and Supporters ,
I spoke briefly with many of you in regards to helping with Moe's upcoming bail (starting Oct. 24th-Nov. 4th)
Please read the following message with instructions on how to help.
We need URGENT help to sign affidavits in support of Moe's bail.
We need people to sign cash bonds to help us raise money IF bail is granted to Moe in the coming weeks. We need to raise 50,000 dollars or more. Adil Charkaoui was released on 50,000 dollars cash as well as many other conditions. We are also demanding an electronic bracelet for Moe.
Most supporters give between 25, 50 up to 1,000 dollars.
AND ALSO sign performance bonds, which is a promise to pay a certain sum of money IF Moe breaks his condiitons. If he breaks a condition while you are not around...you are NOT responsible for paying that sum. Supporters are putting amounts from 500 to 10,000 dollars because the chances of that happening are slim to none. WE REALLY need to bump up our numbers and dollars to impress the judge.
Please take a minute and sign the bond form
[link]
IT IS URGENT MATTER AS WE ARE FILING WITH FEDERAL COURT ON FRIDAY AND YOU WILL BE ASKED /called TO SIGN BEFORE.
PLEASE TAKE FIVE MINUTES TO COMPLETE THE FORM AND RETURN TO ME. YOUR SUPPORT COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
HOPE I CAN COUNT ON YOU.
Sophie Harkat
Original author: Canadian Presss (CP)
Source: The Ottawa Sun
URL: [link]
Date: October 16, 2005
Let terror suspects view evidence, Amnesty tells feds
Amnesty International's Canadian branch is urging the federal government to allow more openness in its controversial security certificate system.
The certificates are a counter-terrorism measure which allow for the arrest, detention and deportation of non-citizens deemed to be threats to national security.
Evidence and allegations against them may be kept secret.
In a paper to be presented at a UN human rights committee meeting in Geneva on Monday, Amnesty says the security rules should be changed to allow more openness.
"The process does not conform to a number of essential international legal standards, which are meant to safeguard against the very possibility of arbitrary detention," the paper says.
Original author: Sophie Harkat , sophielamarche at hotmail dot com Source: Harkat Email List (Riseup.net) Date: September 26, 2005
(please reply to this email or to Sophie Harkat at [email] )
Dear Friends and Supporters, (please share with your lists or post)
Many of you generously offered to help us on many occasions if we ever needed anything. If you have done so already, or if you are helping in other ways, thank you. However, if you would like to help, or you can do a bit more, that time has come...We need your help NOW.
All of you are very familiar with our case and know that a negative ruling came down on March 22nd in regards to the validity of the Security Certificate under which my husband, Mohamed Harkat has been detained since Dec. 10th, 2002 (33 months) without any charges or access to the evidence. The good news is, 120 days after the ruling, Moe is eligible to apply for a bail hearing. No date has been set yet, but Moe's lawyers are looking into a hearing date at end of September.
On March 22nd, Judge Dawson of the Federal Court of Canada ruled that there were ''reasonable'' grounds to believe that my husband was a threat to National Security: all based on SECRET EVIDENCE that CSIS provided. Mohamed's lawyers never had, nor will they ever, have access to that ''so called'' evidence under the Security Certificate process.
Original author: Megan Gillis Source: The Ottawa Sun URL: [link] Date: September 7, 2005
An Ottawa man jailed as a suspected terrorist for 1,001 days without criminal charges or a trial, will take his fight against deportation to Syria to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Three Federal Court of Appeal justices took mere minutes yesterday to uphold a national security certificate against Mohamed Harkat.
The justices dismissed a second appeal by a detained Muslim man that Canada's immigration law is unconstitutional.
Harkat's lawyer Paul Copeland argued that deporting people based on evidence they can't see or challenge violates their constitutional right to fundamental justice.
At minimum, the law should allow for security-cleared lawyers to hear and challenge secret testimony, Copeland argued.
Original author: Jim Brown (CP)
Source: The Globe and Mail
URL: [link]
Date: September 7, 2005
Federal Court rejects Harkat's appeal but his lawyer says the fight will continue
OTTAWA -- Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man jailed for nearly three years on suspicion of terrorist ties, is headed for the Supreme Court of Canada in an effort to stave off deportation.
Lawyer Paul Copeland said yesterday that the high court will be his next stop after the Federal Court of Appeal took only 90 minutes to reject a constitutional challenge by his client.
At issue is a security certificate filed by the government against Mr. Harkat alleging he has links to al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, and should be sent back to his native Algeria.
Under the controversial legal process that governs such certificates, defence lawyers have not been allowed to see the detailed intelligence the federal government has gathered to support its claims. Advertisements
Nor have they been able to cross-examine officials of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service or others who provided information.
Instead, a judge of the trial division of Federal Court reviewed the evidence in Mr. Harkat's case in private, and concluded earlier this year that there were credible grounds to consider Mr. Harkat a threat to national security.
Original author: Andrew Duffy
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
URL: [link]
Date: September 07, 2005
Federal Court rejects contention security certificates unconstitutional Andrew Duffy The Ottawa Citizen
The case of Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa pizza delivery man accused of working for the al-Qaeda terrorist network, appears headed for the Supreme Court of Canada.
A constitutional challenge launched by Mr. Harkat was quickly dismissed by the Federal Court of Appeal yesterday, setting the stage for his case to join a similar one to be heard by Canada's top court.
Mr. Harkat's lawyer, Paul Copeland, was in the odd position yesterday of favouring a swift rejection of his own argument since only then could he move on to the high court.
As a result, he urged the panel of judges to act quickly if unmoved by his contention that Mr. Harkat had been denied his right to fundamental justice.
The three-member panel complied, issuing a decision within minutes of Mr. Copeland's submissions.
Chief Justice John Richard said Mr. Copeland failed to reveal any "manifest errors" in the court's earlier decision to uphold the security certificate process as constitutional -- a decision that came in the case of accused terrorist Adil Charkaoui of Montreal.
The Supreme Court announced last month that it will hear Mr. Charkaoui's appeal.
Mr. Harkat's wife, Sophie, was in court for yesterday's hearing, along with filmmaker Alexandre Trudeau, the son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, who has become an important advocate for security certificate detainees.
Mr. Harkat marked his 1,000th day in custody on Monday. He has spent most of that time in maximum security at the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre.
"This process is taking a long, long time," said Ms. Harkat after the hearing, "and we don't see an end to this."
Earlier this year, Mr. Harkat was ordered deported to his native Algeria after Judge Eleanor Dawson upheld the security certificate issued against him by the federal government in December 2002.
Original author; Canadian Press (CP) Source: The National Post URL: [link] Date: September 6, 2005
OTTAWA -- Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man jailed for nearly three years on suspicion of terrorist ties, is headed for the Supreme Court of Canada in an effort to stave off deportation.
Lawyer Paul Copeland says the high court will be his next stop, now that the Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed a constitutional challenge by his client.
A three-judge panel took only 90 minutes to uphold a security certificate filed by the government against Harkat.
Under the certificate, defence lawyers are not allowed to see most of the intelligence gathered to support the claim of terrorist links, nor to cross-examine security officials.
The Supreme Court has already agreed to review that controversial process in a challenge brought by Adil Charkaoui of Montreal.
Copeland will file for leave to join the challenge and present Harkat's case to the high court. He will try to get Harkat freed on bail in the meantime.
Original author: Sophie Harkat
Source: Harkat Email List (Riseup.net)
Date: September 5, 2005
Dear Friends and Supporters, (circulate far and wide or post)
Mohamed Harkat's legal team is going to the Federal Court of Appeal this (tomorrow)Tuesday, Sept. 6th at 10 am. The hearing will take place at 90 Sparks Street (Royal Bank building) on 10th floor, on a corner across the street from a small Tim Horton's/gift shop. Ask the security officer at the elevator for directions for FCA when you sign in.
Urgent...Please attend and fill up those seats !!!
We already know what the outcome of the decision will be...but we have no choice to go through the appeal in order to join the Supreme Court of Canada at a later date. It is VERY important the supporters show that they are concerned by the Security Certificate process by their presence.
Come for an hour or two when Paul Copeland makes his constitutional arguments at 10am sharp ! Please arrive a good 15-20 minutes ahead of time to go through security check.
I am counting on you to fill that court room ! Hope to see you there. Thank you for your continued support and dedication. Moe has been detained 1000 days today !!! Sincerely,
Sophie Harkat Wife of Mohamed Harkat who has been detained under a Security Certificate since Dec. 10th, 2002 without any charges or access to the evidence.
Harkat backers laud decision to hear terror law challenge
Original author: Tobi Cohen
Source: The Ottawa Sun
URL: [link]
Date: August 26, 2005
'An ounce of hope'
Harkat backers laud decision to hear terror law challenge
A SUPREME Court decision to hear a Montreal terror suspect's challenge to the controversial security certificate process was met with mixed reaction yesterday by those fighting on behalf of local terror suspect Mohamed Harkat.
Canada's highest court said yesterday it would hear an appeal by Adil Charkaoui, who was detained for 21 months on allegations of being an al-Qaida sleeper agent.
He has argued that the security certificate violates both the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and Canada's obligations under international law, but his earlier challenges to the system were dismissed by a Federal Court judge. The decision was upheld by the Federal Court of Appeal in December.
DEPORTATION FIGHT
Charkaoui was released on 50,000 dollars bail in February and is now fighting deportation to his Moroccan homeland.
Harkat's lawyer Paul Copeland said the decision was "very good news" given the last time someone tried and failed to get leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada on this issue was in 1996.
However, Copeland said it likely won't have any bearing on his client's constitutional challenge slated for Sept. 6 in Federal Court.
"I presume I will lose," he said, adding he, too, will likely have to apply for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Copeland said he'll probably sign up as a co-appellant in the Charkaoui matter when it goes before the Supreme Court.
Original author: Andrew Duffy
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
URL: [link]
Date: August 11, 2005
Harkat's wife aids police in bad cheque probe
Supporters of Mohamed Harkat, the Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaeda operative, have launched a 50,000 dollar fundraising drive in preparation for his bail hearing next month.
Mr. Harkat, 37, will mark his 1,000th day behind bars in early September. He has been held without criminal charge since Dec. 10, 2002, when he was arrested on the strength of a security certificate issued by two federal cabinet ministers.
Based on information from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service spy agency, the ministers concluded Mr. Harkat was a terrorist and threat to Canadians.
Earlier this year, a Federal Court judge endorsed that decision, opening the door to Mr. Harkat's deportation to Algeria, the country from which he fled as a political dissident in 1990.
Before deporting him, the federal government must determine whether Mr. Harkat faces a substantial risk of torture in Algeria, and whether such danger is outweighed by the risk he poses to Canadians.
As he waits, Mr. Harkat has decided to apply for bail. That hearing is expected to be held next month in Federal Court.
"I think he has a good chance; we're well prepared and we have a big support network," said his wife, Sophie Harkat. "It is really impressive. I'm getting offers from people from all over who are willing to help."
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.
