End Security Certificate Rally

Ottawa - December 10th 2011
Ninth anniversary of Mohamed Harkat being detained under a security certificate.

Footage courtesy of: youtube.com/ottawafro

Image from: http://noii-van.resist.ca/?page_id=90

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.

For more info Click Here