Operation Awareness - Security Certificates : A report by Yayacanada

Original author: YayaCanada, yyc at yayacanada.com
Source: www.yayacanada.com
URL: http://www.yayacanada.com/0574.html
Date: July 5, 2004


Justice for Mohamed Harkat and other Security Certificate Detainees Event Report by YayaCanada

July 5, 2004

Ottawa - On Sunday, July 4 Francine Dumas and Robert Marois of Rassemblement Outaouais contre la guerre (ROCG) locked their friend Emmanuel Dupont into a jail cell, clad in a bright orange coverall and sandals, and there he stayed in the blazing sun at the edge of Ottawa's Byward Market from nine in the morning to late in the afternoon, without uttering a word of complaint. The intent was to raise public awareness about Canada's Security Certificate and the young men who have been detained under it for indefinite periods of time in solitary confinement, and whose own lawyers are not privy to whatever secret information was used to justify locking them up.

Hundreds of passersby were drawn to the cage, and took the time to read the petition that will be sent to Prime Minister Paul Martin once Operation Awareness is completed.

Over 200 people signed the petition on July 4, and another 175 signed on July 5 when Mich&egrace;le Marois took Emmanuel's place in the cage, this time on Parliament Hill where visitors from all over the world stopped to learn about Canada's own little "Guantanamo" as RCMP officers stood watching nearby.

Sophie Lamarche, wife of Mohamed Harkat who was arrested in December 2002, and has been locked away ever since, was on hand to explain her husband's plight. Although the current awareness program focuses on Harkat, Sophie works tirelessly on behalf of all Security Certificate detainees.

Numerous other supporters came and went over the two days, spending as much time as they could helping to gather signatures, including members of NOWAR-PAIX, and Ria Heynen of the Ottawa Raging Grannies with her husband Jan who is a member of the Ottawa Witness Group.

Many visitors to the display who felt they needed more information before signing the petition willingly took away information sheets and copies of the petition to send in on their own. Those who were sympathetic far outnumbered people who expressed support for Canada's new and drastic security measures.

But, of course, the issue seems simple: in Canada a person is to be considered innocent until proven guilty and there are laws that ensure speedy trials for all who are accused of crimes. Therefore, the petition was perfectly reasonable in asking that either Harkat be freed or given a fair, public trial. To many people, that doesn't seem too much to ask. But the Security Certificate shockingly negates these rights, and the RCMP, in concert with CSIS, seem a little too pleased about that.

Maybe it was the heat or maybe it really was as bizarre as it seemed, but when a pretty poster boy "Mountie" showed up on horseback to preen and flash his pearly whites for the tourists' cameras, Yours Truly couldn't help musing on why he kept the horse's hind quarters facing in the direction of the "prisoner".

His audience very likely had a better sense of reality than he, having just been made aware by a caged young woman in an orange suit that the RCMP aren't as cuddly cute as the tourist bureau would have them believe.

But they do look well rested, more so than the protesters - maybe because the dubious war on terror has made it so much easier for them to "get their man".

Operation Awareness resumes on August 2 in Gatineau.

Anyone who would like to add their signature to the petition, or volunteer to help, should contact Francine Dumas.


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ANNOUNCEMENT

Operation Awareness - Security Certificates

Sunday July 4th - Monday July 5th and Monday August 2, 2004

Justice for Mohamed Harkat and other Security Certificate Detainees

FRENCH FOLLOWING

OTTAWA
Sunday July 4th from 9 am to 5 pm
Byward Market (corner of Clarence and Sussex)

Monday, July 5th from 11 to 5 pm
Parliament Hill in Ottawa

GATINEAU
Monday August 2nd
corner of du Portage and Laval

One cage with a prisoner will be on display to inform the public about Security Certificates. By these Security Certificates - an extraordinary part of the Immigration law - a person can be arrested and detained without any charge. This person cannot access the information that CSIS has against him/her. This process presently affects 5 Arab persons. These victims have names and families. They are : Mohammad Mahjoub, detained since June 2000, Mahmoud Jaballah, since August 2001; Hassan Almrei, since October 2001; Mohamed Harkat, since December 2002; and Adil Charkaoui, since May 2003.

We demand that Mohamed Harkat, an Algerian refugee arrested on December 10th 2002, and detained since without charge, be immediately set free, or be brought before an open court based on the normal Canadian justice system, with evidence being public and subject to cross examination.

We also demand that the Canadian government keep its engagements in respect to human rights and repeal all legal measures of exception relying on behind-closed doors evidence.

Join us around the cage; sign the letter to PM, Paul Martin; discuss with us and with visitors, invite others to sign the letter.

We will also need volunteers to send these letters.

If you wish to help in the organization of the event, send us an email, phone 643-4155 or leave a message at 951-3022. You can also meet us directly on the site of the event.


Francine Dumas
Rassemblement Outaouais contre la guerre

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Dimanche/lundi 4-5 juillet et lundi 2 août:
Opération de sensibilisation sur les certificats de sécurité

Dimanche 4 juillet de 9 h à 17 h
au Marché By
à Ottawa
(aux coins de York et Sussex)

Lundi 5 juillet de 11 h à 17 h
sur la Colline parlementaire

Lundi 2 août de 9 h à 17 h
au coin des rues du Portage et Laval
(Gatineau, secteur Hull)

Une cage avec un prisonnier sera exposée pour sensibiliser la population sur les certificats de sécurité. En vertu de ces certificats sécurité, une disposition extraordinaire de la Loi sur l'immigration et la protection des réfugiés, une personne peut être arrêtée et détenue sans être accusée d’aucune infraction. Elle n’a pas acc&egrace;s à l'ensemble de la preuve que le SCRS utilise contre elle. Le processus inclut des sessions à huis clos auxquelles ni le détenu ni son avocat ne peuvent participer. Cinq personnes d'origine arabe et leur proches en souffrent présentement.

Ces victimes ont des noms, des visages, des familles. Ils s’appellent Mohammad Mahjoub, détenu depuis juin 2000; Mahmoud Jaballah, détenu depuis août 2001; Hassan Almrei, détenu en isolement carcéral depuis octobre 2001; Mohamed Harkat, détenu en isolement carcéral depuis décembre 2002; et Adil Charkaoui, détenu depuis mai 2003.

Nous demandons donc la libération immédiate de Mohamed Harkat, ce réfugié algérien, résident d’Ottawa, arrêté le 10 décembre 2002, et détenu depuis sans accusation, ou un proc&egrace;s public selon les procédures normales du syst&egrace;me de justice, i.e. que la preuve soit rendue publique et sujette à examen.

Nous demandons aussi que le Canada honore ses engagements quant au respect des droits humains et abroge toutes les mesures légales d’exception reposant sur des preuves secr&egrace;tes.

Venez nous rejoindre autour de la cage. Vous pourrez signer une lettre destiné au PM Paul Martin, discuter avec nous et avec les passants, les inviter à signer cette lettre.

De plus nous aurons besoin de volontaires pour expédier ces lettres.

Si vous voulez nous aider à l’organisation, faites-nous parvenir un courriel ou par téléphone au 643-4155 ou encore laisser un message au 951-3022. Ou encore rendez-vous sur place.


Francine Dumas
Rassemblement Outaouais contre la guerre