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| Amnesty International have criticized the certificates, saying they violate basic human rights.
Posted: 7/16/2005 8:52:12 AM | http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/06/29/almrei050629.html
Holding people without charges unCanadian, Trudeau says
Last Updated Wed, 29 Jun 2005 11:32:04 EDT
CBC News
The son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau told a Federal Court that he believes a Muslim man jailed for alleged connections to terrorism is innocent and that Canada should abandon the controversial measures keeping him there.
INDEPTH: Hassan Almrei
Alexandre (Sacha) Trudeau made the comments at the bail hearing Tuesday of Hassan Almrei, a Syrian national who has been detained for almost four years for alleged connections to al-Qaeda.
Asked by a government lawyer why he would support Almrei, Trudeau replied: "For my country."
"It's in the interests of Canada to not be detaining people who haven't been charged," said Trudeau, referring to the security certificate process.
A security certificate allows the government to hold a person indefinitely without a trial, and to keep the evidence a secret.
Civil libertarians and groups such as the United Nations and Amnesty International have criticized the certificates, saying they violate basic human rights.
Almrei is one of five Muslim men jailed in Canada under security certificates.
INDEPTH: Security certificates and secret evidence
He is accused of having ties to al-Qaeda, taking part in a Muslim holy war in Afghanistan and Tajikistan, and helping a friend obtain a false passport.
Almrei, who denies the allegations, has admitted to working for a Saudi honey company accused of funnelling money to the terrorist network.
He says he will be tortured if deported back to Syria. As a matter of policy, Canada doesn't deport people to countries where they might be tortured.
Trudeau has already offered a $5,000 bond for Almrei's release on bail while immigration officials decide whether he should be deported. Trudeau said he would accompany him as a bail condition for leaving home if the bid was granted.
Trudeau said he was considering shooting a documentary film on security certificates and had visited Almrei twice in a Toronto jail and spoke to him on the telephone concerning it.
Trudeau said they got along "very well."
"I found him to have faith. I also found him to be tolerant."
When a government lawyer suggested that Almrei had tricked Trudeau, he disagreed, saying world travels had inured him to such tactics.
"I have an instinct for that," he said.
FROM JUNE 27, 2005: Well-known Canadians offer to back security detainee
More claims to Almrei's tolerance were heard from a social worker who has come to know the devout Muslim while he has been in detention.
Diane Ralph, a Jewish lesbian, said Almrei would live with her and her partner if he is released from jail.
"You can't fake the kindness and gentleness, the compassion that I see Hassan showing consistently," said Ralph, who offered a $10,000 bond for his release.
Canadian writers and journalists Naomi Klein, Avi Lewis and Heather Mallick have also supported Almrei's release with bonds totalling $300.
A government report assessing Almrei's threat to national security is to be given on Thursday to his lawyers, who will add comments before it is presented to immigration officials. They will decide on whether to deport him.
Any comments? Does this interrupt the American bashing long enough to get some people to try to fix their own country first? | |
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| Amnesty International have criticized the certificates, saying they violate basic human rights.
Posted: 7/16/2005 9:15:21 AM |
Asked by a government lawyer why he would support Almrei, Trudeau replied: "For my country."
"It's in the interests of Canada to not be detaining people who haven't been charged," said Trudeau, referring to the security certificate process.
Diane Ralph, a Jewish lesbian, said Almrei would live with her and her partner if he is released from jail.
"You can't fake the kindness and gentleness, the compassion that I see Hassan showing consistently," said Ralph, who offered a $10,000 bond for his release.
Canadian writers and journalists Naomi Klein, Avi Lewis and Heather Mallick have also supported Almrei's release with bonds totalling $300.
Sounds like the issue is already being taken care of. It can't hurt to have a Trudeau in your corner. ;)
Besides;
Almrei is one of five Muslim men jailed in Canada under security certificates
5 frickin prisoners is a far cry from Gitmo. Not to mention they are beinf held in a normal jail and allowed visitors;
and had visited Almrei twice in a Toronto jail and spoke to him on the telephone concerning it. | |
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| Amnesty International have criticized the certificates, saying they violate basic human rights.
Posted: 7/16/2005 9:34:32 AM | LOL
"It's being taken care of" and "It's only five people". Nice. I think the glorious "Amnesty International" disagrees with you.
That one Arab dude has been in for FOUR YEARS. It's being taken care of? LOL
And, I guess it's ok if it's only five people. There would never be a sixth.
What a bunch of hypocrites you people are. You condemn the US for the exact same actions you produce, and make lame excuses as to why it's ok.
And, if you think that Canada doesn't deport people to countries that torture, then once again you seem ignorant of what your own country does, in favor of concentrating on the US. Canada deported people to Iran who were TORTURED TO DEATH. This happened in the last few years. The people even begged not to be deported, but the Canadian govt did it anyway, and it happened. This was in all your countries "newspapers" you know.
Again, concentrate on fixing your own problems. | |
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| Amnesty International have criticized the certificates, saying they violate basic human rights.
Posted: 7/16/2005 10:47:05 AM | So; you want us to tackle terrorism but not this way?
Who's the hypocrite?
The solutions have already been discussed when this subject was raised, by you, before.
Parliament is working on this one.
Should we send him to Syria then? (given that he MAY be tortured and killed OR may join the insurgency?)
DO you ever really THINK!!??
Canada deported people to Iran
Canada deported ONE..and went after him to get him back when they found their mistake. They ALSO paid a major punitive/apology fee to the gentleman for his pains!!!
(and we got him back Bulldog)
And Iran, well, you know their recent story dude.
AL Qaeda is locked down. (but who deserves the "poltics" with them?)
I will try to find the article about AL Qaeda operatives under house arrest in Iraq. (under armed guard too) | |
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| Amnesty International have criticized the certificates, saying they violate basic human rights.
Posted: 7/16/2005 6:37:33 PM | So; you want us to tackle terrorism but not this way?
On the contrary, I'm not opposed to Canada locking his ass up forever. It's you hypocrites complaining about the US doing it, while you're country is doing the same thing.
Who's the hypocrite?
You.
The solutions have already been discussed when this subject was raised, by you, before.
Parliament is working on this one.
lol, right... Four years and still counting. Parliament's really tackling this one head on.
Should we send him to Syria then? (given that he MAY be tortured and killed OR may join the insurgency?)
DO you ever really THINK!!??
 So, you're imprisoning him, without trial, or even charges being filed, for his own good? I'm sure he's ecstatic to know that. You might want to tell Amnesty International that they got it all wrong, it's for his own good! So, if I use your exact same argument about Gitmo, doubt you'll agree with me. Those two instances are hardly different, they involve Muslims being detained without trial, but whne the US does it, it's wrong, and when Canada does it, it's because you're such a great country. Again, you might want to let your precious "Amnesty International" know that it's "ok" for Canada to do this, as they seem to disagree. | |
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