Montreal, 27 September 2009 – Messages of congratulations and joy in response to last Thursday’s Federal Court decision to remove all of Adil Charkaoui’s remaining conditions continue to pour in from Halifax to Vancouver. The Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui wishes to thank the many thousands of people who contributed, in so many ways, to this wonderful outcome. Without this support over the past six and a half years - the letters; street actions; visits with MPs; legal, moral and financial support; prayers; poetry; photography; articles; court appearances; banners; postcards; and much more - Adil Charkaoui would not be celebrating this huge victory. This is a victory for everyone who has participated in the campaign against security certificates, and for everyone who cares about freedom, dignity and equality.

Even as we celebrate, we recognize that the Charkaoui family’s struggle is not over yet.

On Wednesday, a secret hearing will take place between the judge, the federal government lawyers and the special advocates. Following the secret hearing - from which Adil Charkaoui, his lawyers, and the public will be excluded - the judge will throw out the certificate and decide whether to grant the government leave to appeal.

The Coalition firmly believes that the government has no basis for an appeal, and views its request to appeal as a desperate attempt by the government to save face at the expense of Adil Charkaoui’s reputation. The Federal Court found that disclosure of certain information in the secret file would in no way compromise national security. Rather than disclosing it and allowing Adil Charkaoui to challenge information that has deprived him of freedom for six and a half years, the government chose to withdraw the evidence, fleeing like a thief in the night. This is unfortunately exactly the kind of behaviour that those following this case have learned to expect from CSIS.

Independently of this decision, which could come out as early as Wednesday, Adil Charkaoui’s lawyers have asked Federal Court Judge Tremblay Lamer to sanction the government for the many violations committed in his case, including use of information obtained under torture, use of unreliable information, lies, and bad faith. Read summary of motion here.

The priority for Adil Charkaoui is to clear his name. He is calling on the Federal government to give him a full apology and admit that they were wrong to have issued a security certificate against him.

While the legal decision is particular to Charkaoui’s case and will not spell the end of the security certificate regime, politically, a blow has been dealt to this unjust, unconstitutional and cruel system.

Four men and their families remain under a security certificate: Hassan Almrei, under full house arrest in Toronto; Mahmoud Jaballah, who will be challenging his certificate in court this week in Toronto; Mohammad Mahjoub, alone in Guantanamo North prison in Kingston; and Mohamed Harkat, who also won a significant victory last week, in which most of the conditions imposed on him were removed.

Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui
www.adilinfo.org   |   justiceforadil@riseup.net