Security Certificates

Original author: Alex Neve & Michel Frenette
URL: [link]
Date: March 31, 2004

OPEN LETTER FROM AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CANADA TO ANNE MCLELLAN ABOUT SECURITY CERTIFICATES

The Honourable Anne McLellan,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
340 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0P8
By fax: 990-9077

March 31, 2004

Dear Deputy Prime Minister McLellan,

We are writing this open letter to you to underscore Amnesty International's serious concerns with respect to the security certificate provisions that have been part of Canada's immigration legislation for a number of years.

Over the past several years Amnesty International has, on numerous occasions, written to the Canadian government, highlighting individual cases in which we considered that the security certificate process was resulting in violations of a number of fundamental human rights. We are aware of at least six individuals who are currently being held pursuant to security certificates. These individuals have been in detention for an extended period now, close to four years in one case.

We repeat Amnesty International's concerns below and urge that you take immediate steps to reform the security certificate process to bring it into full compliance with Canada's international human rights obligations.

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Original author: Debora Bourque, National President
of Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)
Source: Coalition Justice pour Adil Charakoui
Date: March 24, 2004


March 24, 2004

FAX: 992-4284
E-mail: [email]

Right Honourable Paul Martin Prime Minister of Canada House
of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Dear Mr. Prime Minister:

On behalf of the 55,000 members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, I am writing to express our deep concern over the imprisonment of Adil Charkaoui and four other Muslim men - Mohammad Mahjoub, Mahmoud Jaballah, Hassan Almrei and Mohamed Harkat. All five men have been imprisoned for months and even years without charge, on the basis of evidence that neither they nor their lawyers are allowed to see. They face deportation to their countries of origin where, according to Amnesty International, it is probable that they will suffer further violations of their rights, such as torture - just like Maher Arar.

The security certificate procedure violates the fundamental rules of justice and constitutes an unacceptable attack on rights and freedoms, which include the right to a full defence and a fair and just trial.

CUPW is completely opposed to sacrificing rights and freedoms in the name of national security. If intelligence services have a case against these men, they should lay formal charges so that the five have access to a just and fair trial, including complete access to information being used against them, which they required to prepare a full defence.

CUPW strongly urges you to take immediate and effective action to ensure that these five men are immediately released or formally charged, security certificates are abolished and deportations to countries where torture is used are ended.

Sincerely,

Deborah Bourque, National President.


CC: Judy Sgro, Minister of Immigration
(fax 947-8319 - e-mail: Sgro.J @parl.gc.ca)

Ken Georgetti, President, CLC

National Executive Committee,
National Union Representatives and Specialists, CUPW

by Stephen Humphrey Source: Toronto NOW URL: [link] Date: March 11, 2004 If these Muslims are terrorists, why are they not being tried under 9/11 bill?

For those trying to follow the effects of post-9/11 security crackdowns, the trail through Toronto courts over the last number of months is sure to confuse. This week in another of the seemingly endless series of hearings, Mahmoud Jaballah, one of five Muslim immigrants held in the Metro West Detention Centre without charges under suspicion of terrorist involvement, was denied bail. In a strange turn of events, however, these security cases are being heard not under the much-criticized anti-terrorism Bill C-36, with its sweeping powers of investigation and arrest, but under the immigration security certificate procedure. Critics charge that this process, part of the CSIS apparatus, is a blank cheque for arrest without warrant, open-ended detention and secretive proceedings. And, ironically, many of those who have criticized C-36 say that, scary as it may be, that legislation at least contains such rudiments of due process as specific charges, disclosure of evidence and cross-examination.



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Included below are two letters that were recently sent to Anne McLellan regarding the injustice of security certificates and the secret trials that come of them. One was written by me (Brian O'Connor). I borrowed heavily from Matthew Behren's sample letter. The other is an email written by Linda Belanger. Please consider writing to Ms. McLellan yourself. ========================== Date: February 6, 2004 Dear Ms. McLellan, I am sending you four pens which do not work (enclosed) so that the next time CSIS comes to you to sign a secret trial security certificate, you won't have the ink to do so. As a result of the issuing of security certificates there are now six individuals (five of them Muslim men) who have been detained in Canada without charge or bail. One man has been held in solitary confinement for 27 full months. Four of these men are married, and among them are 11 children who are separated by thick concrete and steel bars from their fathers.

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The Canadian Council for Refugees has issued a press release expressing alarm at changes to the security certificate process. Read the press release here: [link] En francais ici: [link]

Original Author: Matthew Behrens, tasc at web dot ca
Date: Aug 17, 2003

Did you know the government of Canada, using a "security certificate" can declare any refugee or permanent resident a threat to Canada, have them arrested, held without charge or bail, and not allow either that person or their lawyer to see the "evidence" (the basis of a secret trial)?

Did you know on the basis of a secret trial, in which neither you nor your lawyer can see the evidence, you can then be deported to a country where you will likely be arrested, tortured, and murdered?

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photo courtesy of [link] Protesters Trick-or-Treat Across Canada as CSIS, RCMP Play Hide and Don't Seek 70-year-old Resisters Help Lead the Way in 10 Cities During National Day of Action to Stop Secret Trials in Canada Five Arrested as Costumed Crusaders Demand CSIS, RCMP Stop Terrorizing Canada's Arabic, Middle Eastern, South Asian and Muslim Communities A report from Matthew Behrens of the Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada) Read Behren's report HERE

Date: November 1 2003
Original author: Shunpiking Magazine
Source: [link]
URL: [link]

Halifax -- Twenty five people vigorously picketed the CSIS office, Maritime Centre, Halifax, for one hour on the afternoon of October 31st as part of the National Day of Action to Stop Secret Trails in Canada.


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Source: CTV.ca
URL: [link]
Date: Oct 31 2003

Four people have been charged following a demonstration outside CSIS headquarters in Ottawa. The protesters were rallying against the security certificates used to arrest five Muslim men currently being held behind bars.



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Source: Coalition for Justice for Adil Charkaoui
[link]


Montreal, 7 October 2003 - About forty people gathered in front of the federal government offices in Montreal (Complexe Guy Favreau) to demand justice for Adil Charkaoui, who has been detained since May 2003 under a security certificate, without any accusation having been formally laid against him.

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