Terror court hearing: one defendant, no witnesses

posted on November 07, 2004 | in Category Mohamed Harkat | PermaLink

Original author: Michelle Shephard Source: The Toronto Star onlnie URL: [link] (subscribers only) Date: November 6, 2004 Government reveals little of case against terror suspect Lawyers challenging secret process used for detainees

It's often referred to as a quasi-judicial procedure, but even that definition might be generous when describing Mohamed Harkat's day in court last month in Ottawa. There was little that resembled a traditional legal hearing when the Algerian refugee, one of five men currently accused by the federal government of belonging to a terrorist organization, took the stand to profess his innocence. Harkat's defence consisted only of simple denials of the chilling accusations levelled by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. "No sir" or "never, ever" were his answers when asked if he was an Al Qaeda sleeper agent or a supporter of violent Islamic fundamentalism. The government did not call any witnesses to bolster the case it laid out in a 40-page summary at the time of Harkat's arrest.

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