CSIS’s goal was to maintain Abousfian Abdelrazik detained in Sudan, a former diplomat who labored on the case testified Monday in a listening to on the Montreal man’s lawsuit in opposition to the federal authorities.
Scott Heatherington served as director of international intelligence at International Affairs and has since retired. He continued his testimony Monday as a part of Abdelrazik’s multi-million greenback civil swimsuit claiming the federal authorities organized for his arbitrary imprisonment, inspired his detention by Sudanese authorities and actively obstructed his repatriation to Canada for a number of years.
The federal authorities argues Canada didn’t urge Sudan to maintain Abdelrazik in detention and isn’t liable for his mistreatment.
The now 62-year-old Abdelrazik was arrested in Sudan throughout a 2003 journey to go to his mom. He was interrogated whereas in custody by Sudanese officers and Canadian Safety Intelligence Service brokers about suspected extremist hyperlinks. He has denied any involvement in terrorist exercise.
On Monday, Heatherington was proven emails spanning 20 years that he exchanged with different diplomats engaged on the case, and with CSIS officers.
In a single alternate, a CSIS official — whose title was redacted from the paperwork proven in courtroom — wrote to Heatherington to “make it crystal clear” that the service felt Abdelrazik was a terrorist.
“What threats would ensue if Abdelrazik is launched? The identical excessive stage of menace he posed previous to his incarceration. What menace does he pose to Canadian pursuits whereas he’s detained? None,” reads the emails.
Throughout cross examination, Paul Champ, Abdelrazik’s lawyer, recommended to Heatherington that the alternate reveals “CSIS’s prime goal” was to see Abdelrazik stay in detention.
“It is fairly clear the message,” mentioned Heatherington.
“That was the message you understood from them,” requested Champ.
“I did,” Heatherington responded.
Champ later took Heatherington by a memo he signed in the summertime of 2004 in regards to the ongoing case.
“CSIS regards him as a harmful terrorist and would favor that he not return to Canada,” the memo mentioned.
Questioned by Champ, Heatherington agreed that was CSIS’s constant place on the time.
Detention in Sudan was ‘messy:’ retired official
Heatherington was additionally questioned about Canada’s communications with the Sudanese on the time.
In response to the agreed assertion of details within the case, Canada’s head of mission in Khartoum, David Hutchings, was suggested by Sudanese officers someday round Dec. 18, 2003 that Abdelrazik probably was going to be launched the next week.
The courtroom has additionally heard how CSIS was planning one other go to to Khartoum later that month.
In response to a memo written by Heatherington on the time and proven to the courtroom on Monday, International Affairs officers informed the Sudanese that the CSIS go to “could also be related to their determination whether or not or to not launch him.”
Retired Canadian diplomat Scott Heatherington, far proper, listens throughout a information convention in Ottawa on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
Heatherington testified that neither he nor Hutchings informed Sudanese officers to not launch Abdelrazik.
“What’s being communicated is they might take this as related to their determination whether or not or to not launch him,” he mentioned.
Champ recommended to Heatherington that International Affairs was slow-walking efforts to safe Abdelrazik’s launch in order that CSIS might proceed to query him in Sudan.
Heatherington repeatedly informed the courtroom that International Affairs’s place referred to as for Sudan to both cost Abdelrazik or launch him. He additionally mentioned there have been completely different pursuits at play.
“That goes to the duality of Hutchings representing all of Canada. And we’re conscious of defending Canadians and defending Abdelrazik,” mentioned Heatherington.
“Each issues are occurring on the similar time. And it is messy.”
Abdelrazik was launched to a midway home in July of 2004 and detained for a second time by Sudanese officers in 2006.
In April 2008, Abdelrazik sought refuge on the Canadian Embassy in Khartoum.
He returned to Canada in 2009 after a decide dominated Ottawa had breached his constitutional rights by refusing to offer him an emergency journey doc.
CSIS has denied claims it requested Sudan to detain Abdelrazik or intervened to maintain him in custody.
Abdelrazik was by no means charged with terrorism offences. In 2007, the RCMP cleared Abdelrazik, confirming publicly that it had no “substantive data” indicating Abdelrazik was concerned in felony exercise.
