Stop Secret Trials In Canada

Mohamed Harkat arrived in Canada in 1995. In 1997, he was granted status as a Convention refugee after successfully claiming government persecution if he were to return to Algeria. On December 10, 2002, Mohamed Harkat was arrested by undercover police outside his home in Ottawa. Mohamed spent one year of his 3 ½ year detention in solitary confinement. He was released on bail on June 21, 2006, with the strictest bail conditions in Canadian history. All five men detained under security certificates faced brutal release conditions. One even voluntarily returned to jail rather than put his family through the torment. Courts relaxed all of the conditions of detention significantly in 2009.

DEC 9, 2010: A federal court judge today ruled to uphold the 2nd security certificate against Mohamed Harkat, finding it “reasonable.” Justice Simon Noel found against Mr. Harkat and upheld the regime of secret hearings and judicially sanctioned rendition to torture.

What is a security certificate?
At the request of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the government of Canada can declare any permanent resident or refugee inadmissible to this country based on undisclosed grounds. CSIS can then arrest and hold the person indefinitely, for years, without charge. This is done under the power of a security certificate.

A security certificate detainee is given only a summary of allegations against him, and is denied access to anything CSIS wants kept secret. The CSIS-approved judge is shown some of the evidence behind closed doors, without a defence lawyer present.

The judge’s mandate is to rule on whether there were “reasonable grounds” to issue the security certificate. This conclusion is reached without cross examination. CSIS need only prove that there is a possibility, or a belief, that a person might do something that threatens national security, based on the individual’s actual, past or potential activities or associations. No actual crime need have been committed. The court can rule only on whether it is possible that the allegations are true.

How can we as Canadians Help Mohamed Harkat? And other Canadians? Sign the petition titled: “Statement Against Security Certificates” at harkatstatement.com

And For more info about security certificates please click HERE