[Bloquez l'empire!] THIS MONDAY: Picket in support of "Guantanamo North" detainees

[mary foster]

From: "Hungerstrike support committee" <abolissons at gmail.com>

[Please forwards widely]

DIGNITY FOR SECRET TRIAL DETAINEES
CLOSE GUANTANAMO NORTH AND SOUTH

Picket in solidarity with Mohammad Mahjoub, Mahmoud Jaballah, and Hassan
Almrei:

Three "security certificate" detainees held indefinitely without charge
or trial under threat of deportation to torture

All on HUNGER STRIKE to demand decent detention conditions at
"Guantanamo North", the new prison for immigrants

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WHEN: Monday, January 15, 2007 at  8am
WHERE: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (also CBSA offices)
1010 Ste-Antoine West, Mtl., corner Peel (Metro Bonaventure)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Detained in what is being called Guantanamo Bay North, three secret
trial detainees see no end in sight to their indefinite, arbitrary
detention under threat of torture that has lasted six and a half years
in the case of Mahjoub. Currently all three are on hungerstrike to
simply demand better prison conditions: as of Monday, Mahjoub will be 52
days without food and Hassan Almrei and Mahmoud Jaballah will be 41 days.

On Monday, come out to support them as part of a series of fifteen
actions taking place across the country from January 11-15. Demands of
the demonstrations are:

1. Immediately close Kingston Immigration Holding Centre (Guantanamo Bay
North)
2. Immediately release Canada's secret trial "security certificate"
detainees or provide them with a fair, transparent, open trial.
3. End all proceedings to deport Mahmoud Jaballah, Mohammad Mahjoub,
Hassan Almrei, Mohamed Harkat, Adil Charkaoui.
4. Abolish security certificates and end deportation to torture.
5. Immediately condemn the illegal Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba.

On January 15, demonstrations will also occur at the Toronto offices of
Canadian Border Services Agency (which runs Guantanamo North) as well as
at the entrance to Guantanamo North at Millhaven, where Belleville
resident David Milne, who has protested outside of the Abu Ghraib prison
in Baghdad, will participate.

The Government of Canada will not speak with Mohammad Mahjoub, Mahmoud
Jaballah, and Hassan Almrei. Transferred to the new six-cell Kingston
Immigration Holding Centre, located on the grounds of the Millhaven
Penitentiary, in April 2006 and worn down by the psychological torture
of indefinite detention, they have been forced to raise their
voices in peaceful protest to demand decent detention conditions and to
be treated like any Federal inmate. A hunger strike is the only voice
they have. This is the second hunger-strike they have held at the new
prison, which was specifically built to hold immigrants without charge
living under threat of deportation to torture.

In an Open Letter released on 8 January, 2007, Mohammad Mahjoub, Mahmoud
Jaballah, and Hassan Almrei protest their detention conditions and make
the following demands:

1. The constant presence of a supervisor on the detention premises.

Without the presence of a supervisor, the guards may make false
accusations against the secret trial detainees. Too often, the staff at
Millhaven has failed to respond to their complaints because it is their
word against that of the guards.

2.  The delivery of medical care

Medical care is only delivered in the administration building. The
secret trial detainees have chosen not to go to the administration
building without the presence of a supervisor for their own safety.
Before 10 September, 2006 medical care was delivered in the living unit.
The secret trial detains demand to receive medical care in the living
unit or to be accompanied to the administration building by a
supervisor. In one case, a detainee has been denied shots for Hepatitis
C since 2 September, 2006 and a surgery for a knee injury and a double
hernia has failed to be scheduled since April 2006.

3. Access to the Media in private

When detained at the Toronto Metro West Detention Center, the secret
trial detainees did not require approval to access the Media. Now, they
cannot even access the media without the presence of guards during the
interview.

4. An end to the daily head counts

There are only three detainees at Millhaven. The head counts are
humiliating and unnecessary.

5. The use of phone cards to call family overseas

Authorities at the Kingston Immigration Holding Centre require that
overseas phone calls be made with a long distance plan that the secret
trial detainees' families cannot afford. Since all of their calls are
monitored, there is no reason to deny them the use of cheaper calling
cards.

6. The same rights as any Federal inmate

Federal inmates are allowed access to a library, to educational
programs,and monthly trailer visits with their families. The secret
trial detainees are denied these rights and this constitutes unequal and
differential treatment.

7. Access to the yard

There is a large grassy area by the Kingston Immigration Holding Centre,
but the secret trial detainees are denied access to it. Instead, they
are confined to a small concrete area when the grassy yard is fenced in
and unused. There is no reason to deny access to the yard.

8. An independent body or neutral party to mediate

It is the staff themselves that treat the complaints that the secret
trial detainees make against them. The staff cannot treat these
complaints objectively and so they are constantly dismissed with no
appeal. This is not fair. There is no ombudsperson that the secret trial
detainees can speak with. They have been told to send their complaints
to the Red Cross but are not allowed to phone them. Besides, the Red
Cross has no authority at the detention center.

9. Access to a translator

The secret trial detainees have meetings with the staff at the detention
center, but are not provided with translators in order to properly
communicate even though English is not their first language.

10. To be treated with dignity as humans beings

All human beings have rights and the secret trail detainees are denied
the most basic rights to live with dignity while in detention. Detained
indefinitely, without charge and on secret evidence, they are denied
privacy, medical care, and are separated from their families. There is
no security-related reason why they cannot live with dignity while at
Guantanamo North.

For more information: www.homesnotbombs.ca/secrettrials.htm

HUNGERSTRIKE SUPPORT COMMITTEE
abolissons at gmail.com
tel. 514 859 9023