Former international affairs minister Lawrence Cannon says that whereas he obtained conflicting recommendation about whether or not to situation an emergency passport to a Canadian citizen dwelling in exile in Sudan, he was swayed by the Canadian Safety Intelligence Service’s declare that Abousfian Abdelrazik was a nationwide safety menace.
Abdelrazik is now suing the federal authorities and Cannon for thousands and thousands of {dollars}, arguing they had been complicit in his detention and alleged torture in Sudan.
He claims the Canadian authorities deserted him in Sudan for six years earlier than the Federal Court docket dominated in June of 2009 that Ottawa had breached his constitutional rights and ordered him despatched residence.
Cannon, testifying within the Ottawa courtroom the place Abdelrazik’s declare is being heard, was questioned for hours Tuesday afternoon about his resolution to disclaim Abdelrazik an emergency journey doc just some months earlier than the Federal Court docket ruling.
“I used to be knowledgeable on the rationale as to why Mr. Abdelrazik ought to return to Canada,” mentioned Cannon, responding to questions posed by authorities lawyer David Aaron.
“And however, I used to be knowledgeable by CSIS … as to why we should always not, as a result of he did pose a menace to nationwide safety.”
Abdelrazik, who was born in Sudan and have become a Canadian citizen in 1995, was arrested in Sudan throughout a 2003 journey and interrogated whereas in custody by CSIS officers about suspected extremist hyperlinks. The Montreal-based father has denied any involvement with terrorism and has by no means been charged.
In keeping with the case’s agreed assertion of details, Canadian officers acknowledged on a number of events that the federal authorities would situation Abdelrazik an emergency passport within the occasion he was capable of safe a flight to Canada.
Abousfian Abdelrazik speaks on the cellphone as he leaves the a constructing the place his case is being heard in Federal court docket in Ottawa, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
That proved to be troublesome as a result of Abdelrazik had been positioned on a UN checklist of people related to al-Qaeda. That itemizing prevented member states from offering him transit or entry. He was additionally on the U.S. no-fly checklist, which meant industrial airways wouldn’t fly him to Canada.
In March 2009, Abdelrazik was capable of safe a seat on a flight returning to Canada the next month and utilized for an emergency journey doc to get residence.
His hopes had been dashed when Cannon denied him an emergency passport on April 3, 2009, in accordance with the agreed assertion of details.
Cannon says CSIS intelligence ‘central’ to his resolution
In keeping with emails already proven in court docket, a Overseas Affairs official felt the minister had “ignored” the division’s recommendation.
Cannon mentioned it was widespread to obtain conflicting recommendation as a minister.
“I noticed as a lot data as was doable,” he mentioned.
Cannon mentioned CSIS was involved about Abdelrazik’s earlier journey overseas and his acquaintances, who included Ahmed Ressam, generally known as the “millennium bomber” for a thwarted assault on Los Angeles Worldwide Airport.
He mentioned that concern was “central” to his decision-making.
“These had been points that had been most prevalent to me,” Cannon testified.
“I didn’t need to put any Canadians in jeopardy or have Mr. Abdelrazik come again to Canada and pose a menace to the safety and livelihood of plenty of Canadians.”
The court docket continuing, which is in its eighth week, has heard a number of witnesses say that CSIS’s goal was to maintain Abdelrazik detained in Sudan.
Federal legal professionals have argued the federal government didn’t urge Sudan to maintain him in detention or mistreat him, or create a threat that this stuff would possibly occur.
The RCMP cleared Abdelrazik in 2007, confirming publicly that it had no “substantive data” indicating Abdelrazik was concerned in prison exercise.
Abdelrazik first filed his declare towards Ottawa and Cannon in 2009. It is solely now being heard in Federal Court docket after a prolonged delay over the usage of delicate paperwork.
