Mohamed Harkat

Original author: Jim Bronskill
Source: CANOE.CA CNEWS
URL: [link]
Date: March 22, 2005


OTTAWA (CP) - A long-awaited court ruling could clear the way for deportation of Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man jailed for more than two years as a national security threat.

On Tuesday, a Federal Court judge upheld a security certificate issued against Harkat, potentially setting the stage for the refugee's return to his native Algeria. The decision, which cannot be appealed, effectively becomes a removal order.

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Justice Eleanor Dawson has rendered her decision on the case of Mohamed Harkat, who has spent two years and three months in jail under a security certificate. You can read the 70-page decision HERE. Sadly, the decision is negative. Harkat's security certificate was upheld. It was deemed reasonable by Justice Dawson. It has now become a DEPORTATION ORDER. The Government of Canada will now seek to remove Mohamed from Canada and deport him to Algeria where he faces imprisonment and torture because of the accusations made against him by Canada! There will likely be a further hearing to determine the risk associated with deporting Mohamed to Algeria. Please check on the Web site for updates in the coming days. THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER.

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Original author: Andrew Duffy Source: The Ottawa Citizen URL: [link] (subscribers only) Date: March 17, 2005
Measure indicates jurist taking terrorist hearing 'very seriously:' lawyer

A federal court judge will sit in a closed courtroom today to again hear secret testimony in the case of accused Ottawa terrorist Mohamed Harkat. It is the second time since the end of the public hearing in December that Judge Eleanor Dawson has recalled federal government witnesses to ask more questions of them. Mr. Harkat and his lawyer, Paul Copeland, have not been told who the witnesses are or what questions are being put to them.

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Original author: Sophie Harkat Source: Socialist.ca URL: N/A Date: January 2005 Life without my husband, best friend and HERO.

There is not much to report on our case other then the constant stress and anxiety my husband and family have been under for the past few weeks. My husband's "so called" hearing ended on Dec. 9th, 2004 and the decision in his case is still pending. Judge Eleanor Dawson from the Federal Court will be making a decision based on "reasonable grounds to believe" that my husband is associated to terrorism or MIGHT be associated in the future. The ruling is not based on concrete evidence or facts. We have never seen the evidence CSIS has gathered on my husband for national security reasons. We, and our legal team have been in the dark since his arrest.

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Original author: Christian Legeais Source: a press release by Comite Justice pour Mohamed Harkat Date: February 18, 2005 For Immediate Release Adil Charkaoui is reunited with his family; Supporters demand the immediate release of the 4 other Muslim men detained under a security certificate

OTTAWA - Members and supporters of The Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee are very pleased that Adil Charkaoui is out on bail even though the conditions are very harsh but has finally been reunited with his family and kids. "This is a step in the right direction. All four other Muslim men should be freed, and their security certificate quashed," says Sophie Harkat, wife of Mohamed Harkat detained under a security certificate since December 10th, 2002 in Ottawa. The four other Muslim men being held under security certificates are: Mohammad Mahjoub (married, with three children, held since June, 2000); Mahmoud Jaballah (married, with six children, held since August 2001. He "won" against a prior certificate, a new one was signed despite a lack of any new evidence); Hassan Almrei (single, held since Oct. 2001) and Mohamed Harkat (married, held since December 2002). The fact that a Federal court judge has recognized that Adil Charkaoui is not a threat to national security confirms what The Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee has repeatly said: the five Muslim men are imprisoned even though they have done nothing wrong/commited no crime. "Instead of threatening Mr. Charkaoui and using intimidation during a declaration on Thursday, Anne McLellan, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, should admit that the security certificate process is fundamentally unjust and order that the four other Muslim men be freed immediately," says Christian Legeais, campaign manager for the Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee. The demands of the Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee are that Mohamed Harkat: - Be released immediately; - Not be deported, and the abolition of the Security Certificate and the end of the Secret trials in Canada. For more information contact: Christian Legeais, Comite Justice pour Mohamed Harkat: (613) 276-9102

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Original author: Tobi Cohen
Source: The Ottawa Sun
URL: [link]
Date: December 26, 2004


Sophie Harkat still chuckles when she remembers the first Christmas she spent with her husband Mohamed. A Muslim refugee from Algeria, he'd never shopped for Christmas presents or greeting cards before, but nonetheless accepted an invite to Sophie's annual family gift exchange.

When Sophie opened her card, she found a lovely wedding shower greeting and with their engagement and wedding still a year in the future, this was no cutesy marriage proposal.

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Original author: CBC News Staff
Source: CBC.CA
URL: [link]
Date: December 10, 2004


OTTAWA - Lawyers for a local man accused of being a terrorist made their final arguments in an Ottawa courtroom Thursday. Paul Copeland, Harkat's lawyer

Paul Copeland, Harkat's lawyer Mohamed Harkat has spent the past two years in an Ottawa jail, held on national security certificate.

If the federal government's case against him is upheld, he could be sent back to his native Algeria. The federal spy agency, CSIS, believes Harkat is a member of al Qaeda.

But much of the evidence is secret, even from Harkat and his lawyer, Paul Copeland.

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Original author: Tobi Cohen Source: The Ottawa Sun URL: [link] Date: December 10, 2004 Public portion of hearing ends

Tears and hugs filled a federal courtroom where the public portion of accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat's security certificate hearing wrapped up yesterday -- just one day shy of the second anniversary of his arrest. Today also happens to be National Human Rights Day -- an irony his wife Sophie couldn't help but point out. "It's the conclusion of two years' worth of stress and work and this is the big decision now," Sophie sobbed just before leaving the courthouse. The ruling's "not appealable, so today I give my husband a hug and we don't know if it's going to be a victory hug ... or if it's going to be a goodbye hug, so it's really a sad moment."

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Source: The Ottawa Citizen Date: December 9, 2004 " Mr. Mathieson suggested the assertions of journalists and 'biased' human rights lawyers do not amount to proof in a courtroom. 'If this were Starbucks,' he told Justice Eleanor Dawson, 'and you ordered a latte, it would be all froth and no caffeine. There is nothing there.' "

Mathieson's choice of the latte analogy speaks volumes about this man's true concerns. And about his humanity. Does he not appreciate the gravity of Mo's situation? At a time when evidence of torture by the U.S. military is mounting Mathieson's position that reports of Zubayda's torture cannot be believed is bizarre. The full Andrew Duffy report is here: [link]

Original author: Tobi Cohen
Source: The Ottawa Sun
URL: [link]
Date: December 8, 2004

The lawyer for accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat yesterday laid the groundwork for an appeal, arguing the entire security certificate hearing violates Harkat's constitutional rights. While the constitutionality question has been tried and defeated in similar cases, Harkat's lawyer, Paul Copeland, said that even though he "can't win at this level," he had to make the argument so he could take it to the next level.

With the case of Adil Charkaoui, a Montreal man also accused of being an al-Qaida sleeper agent, appealed as recently as Nov. 8, lawyers on both sides of the Harkat case expressed hope that Federal Court Justice Eleanor Dawson would hold off on her verdict until the Charkaoui case is decided.

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