Original author: CBC News staff
Source: CBC.CA CBC News
URL: [link]
Date: February 8, 2005


MONTREAL - Suspected terrorist Adil Charkaoui testified in his own defence Monday at a bail hearing in federal court.

It's the first time since his detention that Charkaoui has taken the stand

Charkaoui has been held on a ministerial security certificate for almost three years, which means neither he nor his lawyers have seen the evidence against him.The evidence is withheld in the interest of national security.

Charkaoui's sister, Hind Charkaoui, was confident her brother would get bail. "The judge is fair," she said Monday outside the courthouse.

In the evidence that has been made public, CSIS says he is acquainted with convicted terrorists, and trained in a camp in Afghanistan.

Charkaoui told Federal Court Judge Simon Noel that he isn't a terrorist and he only travelled in Pakistan, not Afghanistan.

He said he swears on the Qur'an that he has never planned a terrorist attack or even overheard such an attack planned.

The judge said that speaking hypothetically, Charkaoui could be released. He wanted lawyers to come to an agreement on the conditions of that release.

Lawyers for the federal government have seen the evidence against Charkaoui and they say giving him bail would be a mistake.

Judge Noel won't say when he will decide on Charkaoui's release, but says it will take at least a couple of days.

A few dozen demonstrators showed their support for Charkaoui outside the federal court in Old Montreal as he took the stand.

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