Public rally against secret trials

PUBLIC RALLY AGAINST SECRET TRIALS
ABOLISH SECURITY CERTIFICATES IN CANADA
 
Ottawa – The weekend before the closing arguments, and with months expected to pass before a crucial decision on the reasonableness of Mohamed Harkat’s Security Certificate is forthcoming, the Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee will hold an important last public rally Saturday as follows:
 
Date:     Saturday, March 27, 2010
Time:    1:00 PM
Place:  Human Rights Monument (Elgin at Lisgar)
 
Line-up of speakers:
Sophie Harkat, wife of Mohamed Harkat
Imam Khan
Denis Lemelin, President, CUPW (Canadian Union of Postal Workers)
Ihsaan Gardee, Executive Director, CAIR-CAN
        (Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations)
Paul Dewar, MP, Ottawa Centre
Christine Jones, co-Chair, Canadian Peace Alliance
Matthew Behrens, Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada (Toronto)
Pierrette Brunette, mother-in-law of Mohamed Harkat
Jessica Squires, The Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee
 
Since the security certificate was first used on him, Mohamed Harkat’s has endured:
7.5 years of waiting and continued injustice
3.5 years of detention without charge or access to the “evidence”
3.5+ years under the toughest bail conditions in Canadian history
constant fear of deportation to torture
life still on hold with inhumane conditions
Continuously dehumanized, humiliated and degraded by the Canadian Government and labelled a threat to National security under secret evidence
 
During the hearings into the reasonableness of his security certificate, the flimsy case against Mohamed Harkat has unravelled.  However, much of the hearing was conducted in secret, violating his right to a fair trial.
 
Mohamed Harkat has always denied all the allegations against him and continues to claim his innocence.
 
Security Certificates are unjust and a violation of human rights.  We call for them to be abolished.