ACTION
Alert
Uncovering
the truth: Why was
Maher Arar deported to Syria?
Canadian citizen Maher Arar was subjected
to torture, repeated interrogation and horrific conditions while being
held without charge for over a year in Syria.
His fundamental rights
were violated after being detained in the in the US in September 2002
and accused of links to "terrorism".
Amnesty International Canada is calling for a public inquiry into
what role, if any, Canadian law enforcement and security agencies played
in his deportation to Syria. Without the answers, there is no guarantee
it won't happen again.
DisAbled Women's Network (DAWN) calls on our members and allies to calll for an immediate inquiry. Please visit the link below to sign the following petition.
TAKE ACTION: Sign
Amnesty's online petition
[Text of the Online Petition]
To the Prime Minister of Canada:
Security concerns are not an excuse for undermining or ignoring basic safeguards against torture and false imprisonment. No one should be detained without charge. Or deported to a country where they are at risk of torture.
There must be a clear public accounting of why Maher Arar was put in peril through deportation from the United States to Syria. We need assurances that this will not happen again.
We call for a public inquiry into the role, if any, that was played by Canadian law enforcement or security agencies in this case.
Fill out and submit the online form at http://www.amnesty.ca/realsecurity/Syria.htm to sign the petition.
BACKGROUND:
On September 26, 2002, Syrian-born Canadian Maher Arar began his trip home from a family vacation. A routine stopover in New York to change planes changed his life forever.
Within days he had been accused of "terrorism" and deported to Syria via Jordan.
For over a year Maher Arar was isolated from his family and the outside world. Held in solitary confinement and enduring torture and horrific conditions, he was never informed of any charges or evidence against him. On the eve of a trial before the State Security Court, Syrian authorities suddenly released him. He finally arrived home in Canada on October 6th.
Security concerns are not an excuse for undermining or ignoring basic safeguards against torture and false imprisonment. No one should be detained without charge. And no one should be deported to a country where they are at risk of torture.
Failure to uphold these internationally accepted standards not only places individuals at risk of human rights abuse, it can also thwart legitimate and necessary investigation of alleged crimes by adding barriers of secrecy, shielding security services from public accountability, and tainting testimony by fear and coercion.
Torture and ill-treatment are routine in Syrian jails, particularly when detainees are held without charge or denied access to their families.
Canadian officials have repeatedly denied any direct involvement in the US decision to deport Maher Arar to Syria. However, US and Canadian security agencies regularly exchange intelligence information. Furthermore, a series of comments from anonymous sources, apparently from within Canadian government or law enforcement agencies, imply either direct or indirect communication with those who carried out his interrogation and torture, and continuing interest in his case.
Amnesty International is seeking assurances that all Canadian officials will in every instance seek to prevent torture and unlawful imprisonment. Furthermore, when there is a failure to provide this protection, there must be a public accounting of what went wrong and that measures will be taken to prevent such violations from occurring again.
Source: Amnesty International Canada
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Page last updated November 19, 2003