[Bloquez l'empire!] THURSDAY: BRING CSIS OUT OF THE DARK

[mfoster at web.ca]

Federal Court of Appeal to hear Charkaoui on CSIS destroying evidence
Call for Court Solidarity: Bring CSIS secrets to light

Thursday, 12 January 2006, from 10am
Federal Court Building, 30 McGill (metro Square Victoria)

On Thursday, the Federal Court of Appeal will hear Charkaoui's lawyer Me.
Dominique Larochelle challenge the fact that CSIS destroyed recordings and
notes of interviews with Charkaoui that took place before his arrest in
May 2003. CSIS provided only a very selective summary of these interviews
for its public report, removing elements which supported Charkaoui's
defense. The classified summary provided to the judge and government
officials may have been similarly biased against Mr. Charkaoui. Neither
Charkaoui nor Me. Larochelle are permitted to see the classified
information, so they have no way of verifying. Charkaoui will also
question whether information which CSIS introduced after the security
certificate was signed (by then Immigration Minister Denis Coderre and
Solicitor General Wayne Easter) should be included in the evaluation of
the security certificate.

A first challenge to the destroyed evidence was heard and summarily
rejected by Federal Court Judge Noel in early 2005. The Federal Court of
Appeal accepted to hear the appeal. The three Court of Appeal Judges will
be coming from Ottawa for the hearing because one of the 16 severe
conditions of release imposed on Charkaoui in February 2005 prevents him
from leaving the island of Montreal. Charkaoui is also forced to wear a
GPS tracking bracelet, to respect a curfew, and he must be accompanied by
one of his parents each time he leaves his home. Charkaoui has had these
conditions imposed even though he has had no trial at all, not even the
very limited judicial review provided for in security certificate cases.
His security certificate review has been suspended since February 2005,
pending a new decision from Immigration Canada on protection.

Charkaoui still faces deportation to torture, like four other men who
remain in prison under security certificates, without charge on the basis
of secret evidence. Mahjoub, Jaballah and Almrei have been detained in
Toronto since June 2000, August 2001 and October 2001 respectively. Harkat
has been detained in Ottawa since December 2002. The Coalition Justice for
Adil Charkaoui, the Justice Committee for Mohamed Harkat and the Campaign
to Stop Secret Trials in Canada continue to demand that these men be
immediately liberated, that they be given a fair and just trial if there
is any case against them, and that they not be deported to torture. The
groups are also calling for the abolition of the security certificate,
along with hundreds of organizations and individuals in Canada and Quebec.

Please come out and help fill the court room! CSIS is able to get away
with abuse by operating in secrecy. It is important that people are there
to help expose their abusive practices.

Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui
www.adilinfo.org
justiceforadil at riseup.net
tel 514 859 9023

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