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MEDIA ADVISORY
AUGUST 21,
2002
NEW DEMOCRATS DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS
WINNIPEG - NDP Justice Critic Bill Blaikie has sent the attached letter
to the Solicitor General regarding the Liberal government’s actions in the
case of a Canadian citizen who has been detained in an American jail, without
charges, for the past three months.
Mr. Blaikie is available for comment from Winnipeg.
(Letter attached)
HOUSE OF COMMONS
CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES
CANADA
K1A 0A6
BILL BLAIKIE, M.P.
OTTAWA (613)995-6339
WINNIPEG-TRANSCONA
WINNIPEG (204) 984-2499
August 19, 2002
Honourable Lawrence MacAulay
Solicitor General of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
Dear Minister,
Currently Mr. Mohamed Mansour Jabarah, a Canadian citizen,
is imprisoned in the United States, without charges, on the suspicion of being
involved in terrorist plots against the United States.
Though in the first place it is disquieting that this
individual is being held without charge in the United States, what is even
more disturbing is that he is apparently being held with the full complicity
of the Canadian government.
It appears that Mr. Jabarah was apprehended overseas
by members of CSIS or another Western intelligence agency, was then transported
to Oman where he was interrogated and then returned to Canada.
After his return to Canada he was asked by CSIS to travel
to the United States to help the FBI with their investigations, where he was
in fact picked up and detained by American law enforcement authorities.
He has now been detained in the United States for three months.
Mr. Jabarah was born in Kuwait, but is a Canadian citizen.
As such he has the right to the full protection of the Canadian government.
If there is in fact evidence that he was involved in any terrorist activities,
he should be detained by Canadian authorities at the request of the United
States, who should lay charges against him, and then seek his extradition
to face trial.
As NDP Justice Critic I feel that there is no place in a democratic society
for this kind of extra-judicial detention and interrogation and I am calling
on the government to pursue this matter and ensure Mr. Jabarah’s return to
Canada for due process.
Sincerely,
(original signed by)
Bill Blaikie, MP
Winnipeg-Transcona
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