Vol. 73/No. 41      October 26, 2009

Born in Morocco and a permanent resident of Canada, Charkaoui had been charged by the Canadian government with being a terrorist. He spent two years in prison and since 2005 has been living under severe restrictions.

A machinist, Charkaoui was arrested in 2003 and accused of being a “sleeper” for al-Qaeda. He has repeatedly denied the charge. He was held under a “security certificate,” which allows the indefinite detention of noncitizens. Defendants under security certificates do not have the right to see all the “evidence” against them.

In March Montreal judge Danielle Tremblay-Lamer ordered the government to produce its wiretap evidence on Charkaoui. The government refused on the grounds that to do so would compromise its sources.

Johanne Doyan, Charkaoui’s lawyer, said the government’s evidence is based on declarations from detainees who were tortured, reported the Montreal Gazette. The paper also reported that the government plans to appeal the judge’s order releasing Charkaoui and seek a new security certificate against him.

In her September 23 order the judge lifted the restrictions against Charkaoui’s movements and said the security certificate would be lifted in the coming days.

Outside his home Charkaoui cut off the electronic ankle bracelet he has been forced to wear, returning it to Border Services agents. At a press conference in Ottawa, he said, “I am asking for an apology. I don’t want to live with the label of presumed ex-terrorist.”

He also said he deserves compensation for “a very long list of abuses that you cannot imagine.” He missed the birth of his second child, lost his teaching license, and was harassed by security officials.

On September 21, a judge in Ottawa lifted some of the onerous living conditions imposed by the government on Mohamed Harkat, a former pizza delivery man. The judge stopped the 24-hour surveillance outside his home and he will now be able to travel alone in the Ottawa area. He is still subject to a security certificate, however.

The government accused Harkat, an Algerian, of being an al-Qaeda agent. He was released from jail three years ago but has been living under severe restrictions ever since.

Three other men are also subject to security certificates. One of them, Mohammad Majoub, decided to return to jail because of the harsh conditions imposed on his family by the restrictions he was living under. The two other men are Mahmoud Jaballah and Hassan Almrei.

In a related development, Abousfian Abdelrazik, a Canadian citizen and machinist originally from Sudan, has just started a cross-Canada speaking tour. Also accused of ties to “terrorists,” he was forced with the complicity of the Canadian government into six years’ exile in Sudan. For more information on Abdelrazik’s tour go to PeoplesCommission.org.

Beverly Bernardo contributed to this article.  
 
 
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