One of the two remaining persons detained under a Federal Security Certificate, signed by two federal cabinet ministers, is a friend of mine and a resident of Toronto. As one who has attended most of his federal court hearings since 2007 I can attest to the unrelenting ‘hounding’ of a person by the servants of the Canadian state, the CBSA and CSIS agents, the well paid government lawyers, judges and other officials who have made this man’s life a living hell for 16 years so far. Since he is a refugee claimant his hearings come under Canadian Immigration law, which does not require a fair trial for this man. He has never been accused of a crime in Canada and whatever the Canadian government has against him they have never revealed to him or his lawyers. They don’t have to. So he has sat in limbo since the year 2000 awaiting the day when his Security Certificate is removed or he agrees to be deported to a middle eastern country where he may well be killed. Unable to work and living on a small disability pension with some assistance from friends, his health has deteriorated. Isn’t this ill treatment of a human being by Canada’s agents a form of torture that we condemn internationally? Is this ‘hounding’ a ‘Canadian Value’?
Murray Lumley's Blog 