Advisory: Press Conference to respond to new security certificate
MEDIA ADVISORY
Press Conference
Thursday, 28 February, 4:30pm
Aide juridique de Montréal, 800 de Maisonneuve Blvd., East, 9th floor
In the presence of his lawyers, Me. Johanne Doyon and Me. Dominique Larochelle, Adil Charkaoui will respond to the new security certificate law and the new certificate that has been issued against him.
Background
Mr. Charkaoui has lived in Montreal since 1995, when he arrived in Canada with his mother, father and sister as a permanent resident. Charkaoui is married, with three young children, and teaches French in a primary school.
Charkaoui was arrested in May 2003 under the former ‘security certificate’ law, and held in prison without charge or trial for almost two years. After a sustained public campaign, he was finally released from prison in February 2005, but placed under severe conditions which affect his entire family.
Charkaoui’s constitutional challenge to the security certificate law was heard by the Supreme Court in June 2006. In February 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that the law was unconstitutional, but suspended its ruling for one year.
The government introduced a new law, very similar to the old law, in October 2007. Despite broad public opposition, including notice from all major legal organizations that they considered the new law to fall short of constitutional standards, the bill was railroaded through Parliament, and came into force on last Friday.
On the same day, the government issued new security certificates against the five Muslim men detained under the old law.
The certificates were accompanied by new public summaries of unproven allegations, which were, in an unprecedented move, posted on the front page of the website of the Federal Court of Canada. Media across the country uncritically re-published the unsubstantiated allegations.
Further background:
More information: 514 222 0205