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Canada's Star Chamber: Security Certificate Detainee Mohammad Mahjoub Speaks

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Created on Friday, 11 May 2012 16:49
Written by Press Release
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Longest-term security certificate detainee speaks out in Ottawa
by Justice for Mahjoub Network
Mohammad Mahjoub will speak for the first time in Ottawa this Saturday at a rally against security certificates.
 
Mr. Mahjoub is an agriculturalist and a torture-survivor from Egypt and has been detained without charge on secret evidence for almost twelve years in Canada.
 
This makes his the longest case of arbitrary detention in Canadian history.

Rally against Secret Trials in Canada/Security Certificates
 
Saturday, May 12th, 2012 at 1pm
 
Human Rights Monument
(corner of Elgin and Lisgar), Ottawa


Speakers:

Mohammad Mahjoub - Security Certificate Detainee
Alex Neve – Secretary General, Amnesty International
Sean McKenny – President, Ottawa District Labour Council
Denis Lemelin - National President, Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Shelina Merani - Muslim Presence Ottawa
Nour El-Kadri – ON Vice-President, Canadian Arab Federation
and others

Like Ottawa's Mohamed Harkat, Mr. Mahjoub is one of five Muslim men who have been struggling for justice in Canada against so-called security certificates. Security certificates allow the government to indefinitely detain or deport people on the basis of their profile. All on the basis of secret information which the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has admitted was likely obtained under torture or which it destroyed.

A very broad coalition of organizations across Canada has come together in a vibrant campaign of opposition to security certificates and support for the five men. View at www.harkatstatement.com .

This is the first time that Mr. Mahjoub has been able to leave Toronto in 12 years. However, the father of two, an accepted refugee in Canada, remains under heavily intrusive control orders (some of the toughest conditions in Canadian history) and is still fighting his security certificate before the courts.

Mr. Mahjoub is in Ottawa to kick off his TWELVE YEAR TOUR, a speaking tour which will also take him to Montreal, Kingston, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto and London. The tour is supported by CAIR-CAN, Canadian Labour Congress, the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, No One Is Illegal (London, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver - Coast Salish Territories), and Prism Magazine. 

The federal court has maintained that the presumption of innocence does not apply in security certificate cases. In 12 years, the government has been unable to present any evidence against Mr. Mahjoub.

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Ottawa events:
NOWAR-PAIX
Jo Wood
613-864-5959

Information about the speaking tour:
514 222 0205
Justice for Mahjoub Network
www.supportmahjoub.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

More on Mahjoub: www.supportmahjoub.org/background/summary-2/
Security certificates: www.supportmahjoub.org/background/security-certificates/