Mohamed Harkat

Harkat evidence slammed

posted on December 07, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Tobi Cohen Source: The Ottawa Sun URL: [link] Date: December 7, 2004 Defence, government clash over credibility of witnesses as terror suspect's hearing resumes

LAWYERS took shots at the credibility of each other's evidence yesterday as the security certificate hearing for suspected terrorist Mohamed Harkat reconvened after a hiatus of more than a month. Harkat's lawyer, Paul Copeland, slammed evidence identifying his client as the proprietor of a Pakistani guest house for mujahedeen fighters traveling to Chechnya in the mid-1990s because it was obtained from top al-Qaida lieutenant Abu Zubaydah. Copeland suggested Zubaydah made the statement under torture after his capture in March 2002 and that admitting it as evidence would violate international treaty.

[ Read the rest ... ]

Harkat's lawyer calls law unjust, launches constitutional challenge

posted on December 06, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Andrew Duffy Source: The Ottawa Citizen URL: [link] Date: December 6, 2004 Security certificate process so secretive, Ottawa man cannot defend himself further, lawyer argues

The lawyer for Ottawa's Mohamed Harkat has launched a constitutional challenge to what he calls the "fundamentally unjust" process the government is using in an effort to brand his client a terrorist threat. Paul Copeland says the security certificate process is so secretive that it denies Mr. Harkat a basic right: to respond in a meaningful way to the terrorist allegations levelled against him. In doing so, he argues, the law that gives rise to the process -- the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act -- offends the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which says an individual's liberty or security can only be deprived in keeping with the principles of fundamental justice.

[ Read the rest ... ]

My life is in Canadians' hands, says accused terrorist

posted on December 06, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Andrew Duffy Source: The Ottawa Citizen URL: [link] Date: December 05, 2004 'Algeria will assume I'm guilty if deported, Harkat says from jail

Ottawa's Mohamed Harkat says that being publicly branded a terrorist by Canada makes it impossible for him to safely return to Algeria. "Canada is the most trusted country in the world," he told the Citizen in an interview at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre, where he has been held for almost two years on the strength of a security certificate. The federal government is attempting to deport Mr. Harkat to Algeria based on the case built by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, which alleges he is an al-Qaeda operative.

[ Read the rest ... ]

Terror court hearing: one defendant, no witnesses

posted on November 07, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Michelle Shephard Source: The Toronto Star onlnie URL: [link] (subscribers only) Date: November 6, 2004 Government reveals little of case against terror suspect Lawyers challenging secret process used for detainees

It's often referred to as a quasi-judicial procedure, but even that definition might be generous when describing Mohamed Harkat's day in court last month in Ottawa. There was little that resembled a traditional legal hearing when the Algerian refugee, one of five men currently accused by the federal government of belonging to a terrorist organization, took the stand to profess his innocence. Harkat's defence consisted only of simple denials of the chilling accusations levelled by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. "No sir" or "never, ever" were his answers when asked if he was an Al Qaeda sleeper agent or a supporter of violent Islamic fundamentalism. The government did not call any witnesses to bolster the case it laid out in a 40-page summary at the time of Harkat's arrest.

[ Read the rest ... ]

Terror ties out of the question

posted on November 04, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Andrew Seymour Source: The Ottawa Sun online URL: N/A Date: October 29, 2004 Feds avoid quizzing Harkat on al-Qaida

Government lawyers took little more than an hour to cross-examine alleged terrorist Mohamed Harkat yesterday, avoiding any direct allegations of terrorist activity and focusing their questions on where Harkat got his money to travel and a pair of lies he told CSIS agents. Although government lawyer James Matheson asked about Harkat's five years in an Afghan refugee camp in Pakistan, he did not ask any questions about Abu Zubaydah, a top al-Qaida lieutenant who CSIS alleges identified Harkat as the proprietor of a Pakistani guest house for mujahedeen fighters following his capture in March 2002.

[ Read the rest ... ]

Terror suspect's trial hears of funds to buy passport

posted on November 03, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Canadian Press (CP)
Source: The Globe and Mail online
URL: [link]
Date: October 29, 2004


Ottawa - Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaeda sleeper agent, was grilled yesterday about where he got $1,200 (U.S.) to buy the fake passport he used to enter Canada.

Crown counsel James Mathieson questioned whether Mr. Harkat could have saved a total of $18,000 (U.S.) working at a charitable organization in Pakistan in the early 1990s.

The government is trying to deport the 36-year-old man, a refugee from Algeria, under a national security certificate because the Canadian Security Intelligence Service says he is an Islamic extremist and collaborator with Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.

Proceedings adjourned yesterday until Dec. 6.


[ Read the rest ... ]

Terror suspect says he lost 18,000 dollars at casino

posted on November 03, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Andrew Duffy Source: The Ottawa Citizen URL: N/A Date: October 29, 2004 Harkat tells hearing about money borrowed from Pakistani friend

Accused terrorist Mohamed Harkat says his gambling addiction was so serious that he once lost 18,000 dollars at the Casino du Lac-Leamy and had himself banned from the facility. His admission came yesterday as government lawyer James Mathieson questioned him about the circumstances surrounding an 18,000 dollar loan he received from a friend in Peshawar, Pakistan, identified only as Mokhtar.

[ Read the rest ... ]

Ottawa terror suspect quizzed on fake passport

posted on November 02, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Canadian Press (CP)
Source CTV News online - CTV.CA
URL: [link]
Date: October 28, 2004


OTTAWA - Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaida sleeper agent, was grilled Thursday about where he got $1,200 US to buy the fake passport he used to enter Canada.

Crown counsel James Mathieson questioned whether Harkat could have saved up a total of $18,000 US working at a charitable organization in Pakistan in the early 1990s.

"That's pretty good money for that part of the world, isn't it?'' Mathieson asked Harkat during the Federal Court of Canada hearing.

The government is trying to deport the 36-year-old Harkat, a refugee from Algeria, under a national security certificate based on information collected by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

[ Read the rest ... ]

La crédibilité du SCRS mise en doute

posted on November 02, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: N/A
Source: RCI
URL: [link]
Date: 26 octobre 2004

Les avocats de Mohamed Harkat, un résident d'Ottawa soupçonné d'appartenir à une organisation terroriste, ont émis des doutes lundi sur la crédibilité et la compétence des agents du Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité.

Au premier jour du procès de Harkat, Me Paul Copeland a soutenu devant la juge fédérale Eleanor Dawson que les agents du SCRS sont parfois mal informés ou ne comprennent pas les communautés ethniques où ils effectuent des cueillettes de renseignements.

L'avocat a déposé trois rapports du Comité de surveillance des activités de renseignement de sécurité, un organisme gouvernemental, qui sont critiques envers le SCRC, notamment pour le cas de Maher Arar.

[ Read the rest ... ]

Ottawa man grilled about buying fake passport

posted on October 29, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: CP
Source: The Globe and Mail online
URL: [link]
Date: October 28, 2004


Ottawa - Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa man accused of being an al-Qaeda sleeper agent, was grilled Thursday about where he got $1,200 (U.S.) to buy a fake passport that he used to enter Canada.

Crown counsel James Mathieson questioned whether Mr. Harkat could have saved up a total of $18,000 US working at a charitable organization in Pakistan in the early 1990s.

"That's pretty good money for that part of the world, isn't it?" Mr. Mathieson asked Mr. Harkat during the Federal Court of Canada hearing.

The government is trying to deport the 36-year-old Mr. Harkat, a refugee from Algeria, under a national-security certificate based on information collected by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

[ Read the rest ... ]

Go to page first  57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66