by James Long
Source: The Ottawa Sun
URL: [link]
Date: January 14, 2011


Top secret materials in the terrorism case of Mohamed Harkat were released Friday by the federal court but Harkat’s lawyer said key details remain hidden.

The Algerian-born Harkat, 42, is a former Ottawa pizza delivery man who was deemed a threat to national security last month by judge Simon Noel.

He could be deported depending on the strength his lawyers’ appeal to the ruling.

The documents do show that Noel struggled with the secret witnesses’ credibility.

But he ultimately decided testimonies related to the reasonableness of the security certificate was reliable since it was corroborated.

The legal team of Matthew Webber and Norm Boxall both pleaded with the court for the release of those testimonies from the at least two “human sources” during the long, drawn out case but it never happened.

Harkat’s legal team has launched an appeal of the decision, where they cite a series of problems, including how the court dealt with CSIS informants.

The amount of information kept from the public is shocking, said Webber, but at least it will help Harkat’s team in the appeal process.

“There is little here that we don’t already know. Weapons, Afghanistan...it is all just blackout,” he said.

“This weekend we will spend time discussing if this enhances questions for appeal.”

jamie.long AT sunmedia.ca

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