Federal Court Judge Simon Noel today ruled to uphold the security certificate against Mohamed Harkat as "reasonable".

December 10th is International Human Rights Day and the 8th anniversary of Mohamed's arrest under a security certificate. On December 10th, people in Ottawa and Montreal will come together to protest this unjust and horrible decision:

OTTAWA VIGIL
December 10th, 2010 at 5pm
Human Rights Monument (corner of Lisgar and Elgin)
Bring your candles, lanterns, flashlights, signs and banners…bring your friends!
More information: www.justiceforharkat.com

MONTREAL PROTEST
Friday, 10 December, noon
CSIS Offices
715 Peel Ave. (corner of Ste-Antoine, at Bonaventure metro)
More information: commissionpopulaire@gmail.com

Stop Secret Trials in Canada!
Abolish Security Certificates!

Mohamed Harkat was arrested on December 10th, 2002 under a Security Certificate without charge or access to the evidence. Detained for 43 months, he spent one year in solitary confinement. Released in June of 2006, he was placed under the toughest conditions in Canadian history. His Canadian wife was his full-time jailer and prisoner in her own home.

Now he faces deportation to torture…all under a veil of secrecy for National Security reasons. CSIS alleges, assumes, believes…would you trust them with your life?

BACKGROUND

Thanks very much to all of you who came out to court for Adil Charkaoui on Thursday. **There will be no hearings Friday! **

During Thursday's hearings, Federal Court Judge Tremblay Lamer removed all the interim conditions placed on Charkaoui:

Read more: Montreal Gazette, "Charkaoui says 'au revoir' to bracelet"

There will be a secret hearing on Wednesday, after which the judge will render her decision on the security certificate itself.

CALL TO ALL FRIENDS AND ALLIES OF THE CHARKAOUIS AND TO THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT JUSTICE

Thursday, September 24 and Friday, September 25, 2009, starting at 9:30am
Federal Court, 30 McGill Street (Square Victoria metro), Montreal
*Call to confirm hearing and time: 514-222-0205, 514-813-4918

After six years of subjecting Montrealer Adil Charkaoui to surveillance, imprisonment, and house arrest, the Canadian government admitted on July 31st, 2009 that they don't have the evidence to uphold the "security certificate" against Adil.

Federal Court Judge Tremblay-Lamer, issued a directive on August 5th stating that, “in light of the admission by the Ministers that the evidence is insufficient to meet their burden of proof," she will convene court hearings to determine whether she should quash the certificate or order the Ministers to revoke it themselves. These hearings will take place on 24 and 25 September (see more background and court directive here).
 

You are invited to join Adil Charkaoui and members of the Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui on Wednesday, 15 April, when Adil is in court to argue for his right to keep his job as a high school French teacher and to finally obtain a teaching permit, according to his rights.

Despite the fact that Adil Charkaoui has all the academic qualifications required to teach at the secondary level and that he has considerable experience in this area, he has been denied, since November 2008, his means of subsistence following an arbitrary decision taken by the Minister of Education of Québec, Michelle Courchesne. Courchesne believes that the baseless allegations which have been made against Adil in the context of a security certificate, issued by the Federal government in 2003, are sufficient grounds to deny him his teaching permit.

Court Hearings in Charkaoui case

Tuesday, 10 and Wednesday, 11 March from 9:30 am
80 McGill St., metro Square Victoria
(If you come late, please call 514 222 0205 to make sure the hearings are still on.)

Although there was another significant victory in the fight for justice and equality last month when the conditions imposed on Adil Charkaoui were substantially reduced, his struggle against the unconstitutional (in)security certificate is far from over. This coming week, on 10 and 11 March, his lawyers will be in court to argue several important legal questions which will set the stage for the coming months in his case, and potentially have a broad impact on the rights of many people.

These include important questions relating to:

We have made a 2009 wall calendar that we are selling to raise money for the coalition.

This french (only) calendar is 32 full-colour pages of photos and art. We are selling the calendars for 15$. Besides being a donation to a great cause, these calendars make a nice gift for friends and family!

This calendar is not only a visual record of events we have organized, it also provides the history of the campaign, information about what the coalition does and is fighting against. It's a good way to share this information with your family, co-workers and friends. Besides being a means to fundraise, this calendar is an educational tool.

TO ORDER, email us at justiceforadil@riseup.net with the number of calendars you want. Specify your full mailing address OR, if you live in Montreal, let us know and we will make arrangements for in-person pick-up. (Note: Please let us know if you want us to send by overnight mail; we'll ask you to cover the costs.)

Please support us in this fundraising campaign. We hope you enjoy the calendar.

Public Hearings in Adil Charkaoui's case will continue Wednesday, 4 February at 9:30am. Everyone is encouraged to observe the hearings which will take place at the Federal Court, 30 McGill St., near Square Victoria metro, in Montreal.

Both sides will make legal arguments about the draconian conditions that were imposed on Mr. Charkaoui in February 2005, by means of the old security certificate law ...

SECRET PROFILE - SUFFICIENT TO IMPOSE HOUSE ARREST?

When the Supreme Court ruled that security certificate legislation was unconstitutional in February 2007, the severe conditions on Mr. Charkaoui and the other security certificate detainees remained in place. Under the new law, brought in almost a year ago, the conditions were supposed to be completely reviewed by the Federal Court; this is finally happening.

URGENT CALL TO ALL FRIENDS AND ALLIES OF THE CHARKAOUIS AND TO THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT JUSTICE:

PACK THE COURT STARTING DECEMBER 9th!

Tuesday, December 9th, 9:30am
First Day of Show Trial
Federal Court, 30 McGill Street (Square Victoria metro), Montreal

*To avoid arriving after hearings have finished, please call to confirm before heading for the court: 514-222-0205 or 514-516-2793.

URGENT CALL FOR COURT ROOM SOLIDARITY

Starting Tuesday, December 9th, Adil Charkaoui will be subjected to part of the public portion of his Secret Trial, though it has just been revealed that CSIS has failed to provide evidence even to the court, let alone to Adil and his lawyers.

This is the first time in Charkaoui's case that a court will begin to publicly consider the "reasonability" of the Security Certificate that was issued against him.

LET'S PACK THE COURT! SOLIDARITY WITH ADIL CHARKAOUI THIS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH

-------------------
REMINDER: Come out to court on FRIDAY, 28 November, starting at 9:30am. Hearings normally last until about 4pm, with a lunch break. The hearings will take place at 30 McGill St., Metro Square Victoria, Montreal. The Coalition is calling for a strong presence in court as a show of solidarity with the Charkaouis, who have been struggling for very basic rights for five years and nine months.
-------------------

New scandal in Charkaoui case:
- After five and a half years, CSIS asks for time to gather evidence
- Judge decides: Show trial will proceed on the basis of CSIS opinions, no need for evidence

On Friday morning, the Quebec Bar Association will appear in court to argue that it should be allowed to intervene in Adil's case. The Quebec Bar Association wants to present its arguments that the security certificate law remains unconstitutional (their written arguments).

During Monday's hearings, a very lively debate - some of it at high decibels - took place between Charkaoui's lawyers and the Federal Court judge.