24-HOURS AGAINST TORTURE
Camp out in front of Paul Martin's office

On 8 June 2005, the Coalition for Justice for Adil Charkaoui was outside the downtown office of Paul Martin for "24-hours against torture".

This action was part of a pan-Canadian day against torture called by the Toronto-based Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada, in the context of the broader campaign to abolish discriminatory and unjust "security certificates". Events took place across Canada, including in Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Durham, Vancouver and Toronto.

    Coalition for Justice for Adil Charkaoui, 10 May 2005

Canada challenged on deportation to torture

Montreal, 10 May 2005 – Security Certificate victim Adil Charkaoui categorically denies the allegations made against him yesterday by the Moroccan Public Relations Minister, Mr. Mohammed Nabil Benabdallah and demands to know the basis of any warrant against him in Morocco. The allegations were made at a public talk held at McGill University yesterday evening, and repeated in an interview with La Presse. The Coalition for Justice for Adil Charkaoui believes that the Minister’s remarks makes it more urgent than ever for the government of Canada to declare that it will not force Mr. Charkaoui to return to Morocco.

March against secret trials, arbitrary detention and deportation to torture in Canada

Saturday, 26 March at 1:00pm
Gathering point : Atwater Park (Atwater metro)

On 26 March 2005, a march to protest (in)security certificates will take place, beginning at 1:00pm.

We demand:

    Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui, 18 February 2005
 
Montreal, 18 February 2005 -- Secret trial detainee Adil Charkaoui will be leaving the Riviere de Prairies Detention Centre (11900 ave. Armand-Chaput, RdP, Montreal) tonight after almost two years of arbitrary detention. He will be available for brief comments before leaving the Detention Centre.

His immediate plans are for a joyful and quiet weekend of reunion with his family.

Charkaoui will be appearing in Federal Court (30 McGill Ave., Montreal) at 9:30 on Monday, 21 February, for the hearing on the reasonability of the "security certificate".

-30-

More information: 514 222 0205

    Coalition for Justice for Adil Charkaoui, 17 February 2005

Montreal, 17 February 2005 – The Coalition for Justice for Adil Charkaoui is delighted with today’s Federal Court decision to release secret trial detainee Adil Charkaoui on bail. He and his family are expected to have an emotional reunion tomorrow, after almost two years of separation. Charkaoui had been detained since May 2003 without charge in Montreal.

“The court has done right to uphold the principle of freedom from arbitrary detention in this decision. We are proud of the people across Canada and Quebec who have stood up against secret trials and racism over the past months,” said Hind Charkaoui, Mr. Charkaoui’s sister.

1 Feb 2005

This past weekend, the federal council of the New Democratic Party of Canada unanimously passed a resolution sponsored by Alexa McDonough and the NDP International Affairs Committee regarding Canada's use of security certificate to hold non-citizens indefinitely without the laying of charges.

NDP Resolution - Security Certificates

WHEREAS the federal government has not laid a single charge against any detainee currently held in Canada under Security Certificates, for periods of up to four years; and

WHEREAS Security Certificates apply only to Permanent Residents and Refugees; and

WHEREAS denying non-citizens access to the judicial process violates our Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as Canada's international obligations and goes against the fundamental notion that human rights are inalienable and do not depend on legal status; and

    Coalition for Justice for Adil Charkaoui, 18 January 2005

18 January 2005, Montreal – Adil Charkaoui may be glimpsing the light at the end of the tunnel as his lawyer seeks to have his security certificate quashed in court today. Last week’s revelations that CSIS had destroyed evidence in the case opened the door for the security certificate to be thrown into question. Charkaoui’s lawyer is arguing that he should be released.

“I am dreaming of being at home,” said Mr. Charkaoui, imprisoned since May 2003, though he has been neither convicted nor even charged with any crime. “I took a polygraph test to show my innocence. Now we have learned that evidence has been destroyed. I am impatient for freedom. Twenty months is a very long time, especially when you are innocent.”

    Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui, 9 January 2005

Montreal, 09 January 2005 – The Coalition for Justice for Adil Charkaoui denounces the latest secret hearing in Adil Charkaoui’s case. Last week, CSIS again presented information to Federal Court Judge Simon Noel in a closed hearing. Charkaoui and his lawyer were not permitted to be present and are denied access to the information.

"I am thoroughly disgusted by these games and demand a fair trial with full disclosure," said Charkaoui. "It is clear why they are using this abusive process - they have no case against me which would stand up to a fair trial. They have no case against me because I am innocent."

The public summary of the secret evidence reveals nothing more than allegations which were broadcast by media in April 2004. The Coalition for Justice for Adil Charkaoui organised a press conference to respond at that time.

Second open letter by Adil Charkaoui, 20 December 2004

This is neither a Kafka novel nor a mediocre tale unfolding in a banana republic, but quite simply the state of human rights in the very best country in the world.

The judgement on the constitutionality of security certificates, made public on 10 December 2004, international human rights day, is a revealing illustration of post-September 11th Canada.

In this decision, decried by all human rights organisations and by an impressive number of Canadian jurists (more than 60 coast to coast), the three Federal Court of Appeal judges stated that security certificates – a measure of the Immigration Law in which the presumption of innocence does not exist, part or all of the evidence is withheld, hearsay is accepted, counter-examination of witnesses refused, the right of appeal denied, and closed sessions between judges and attornies are ready currency – are “an exceptional albeit permissible derogation.” 1

Cross-Canada day of action against secret trials in Canada

Friday, 10 December 2004, was the second cross-Canada day of action against secret trials in Canada; with actions in Vancouver, Edmonton, Owen Sound, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax calling for the abolition of secret trials in Canada and freedom for the detainees. 10 December is not only Human Rights Day, it is the second anniversary of the detention of Mohamed Harkat under the discriminatory security certificate regime in Ottawa.