| Submit your comments on this article |
| Great White North |
| Canucks appeal decision to release Harkat |
| 2006-06-02 |
| The Canadian government has appealed a judge's decision to release on bail an Algerian man she had found to have lied about being part of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, a spokeswoman said on Thursday. On May 23 Federal Court Justice Eleanor Dawson ordered the release under tight conditions of the suspect, Mohamed Harkat, one of several Muslims detained since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. "We have reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Harkat poses a risk to national security," said Melisa Leclerc, a spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day in explaining why the government appealed Dawson's decision. In the government's notice of appeal, filed on Tuesday, it referred to the fact that Dawson herself had found that, "in his testimony before the court, the respondent (Harkat) had been untruthful on a number of significant points." Dawson had said she remained convinced that Harkat had lied under oath about his alleged association with Bin Laden lieutenant Abu Zubaydah and having assisted Islamic extremists who came to Canada. But she said her conditions would establish close enough supervision to prevent danger to Canada. Harkat has been held in prison without charge since 2002 on a national security certificate on grounds that he was a threat to national security. Canada would like to deport him but Harkat says if he is sent to Algeria he will likely face torture or death. As of Thursday afternoon, the Web site lobbying for Harkat's release said he was still in prison while his wife Sophie Harkat tried to raise the funds for his bail. A government motion to stay Dawson's decision, or put it on hold, is to be heard in Ottawa on June 9. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |