Hinzman

Jeremy Hinzman, who deserted the U.S. army in 2004 to avoid being sent to Iraq, has been ordered to leave Canada by Sept. 23.  It is uncertain if he will try a further appeal in the courts.

In July, Robin Long, another deserter, was sent back to the U.S.  Currently there are nine other men seeking refugee status in Canada to avoid fighting in Iraq.  The Immigration and Refugee Board and the courts have ruled that detainees returned to the U.S. would not suffer serious mistreatment.  Long is currently in jail awaiting trial.

This June, the House of Commons passed a motion calling on Canada to give deserters asylum, but the vote is not binding on the minority Conservative government, which opposed the motion.

 

Arar case back in court

Arar

In June, a federal Appellate Court in New York tossed out Canadian engineer Maher Arar’s suit against John Ashcroft and other officials for shipping him to Syria to be tortured.  Technically, the court held, he was never in the U.S.  He was taken into custody while transferring from an overseas flight en route to Canada.  So he was apparently never technically in jail before being put on a plane to Jordan.  Technically, he was never put in shackles.  That was the two-to-one ruling by the court.

Now, that same court has decided on its own initiative to take another look at the case, this time with the full bank of judges of that court, at least 13 of them.  Canada has already coughed up over $10 million compensation for its part in Arar’s mistreatment.  Maybe the U.S. will still have to pay for its sorry role in the affair. 

 

 

Former P.M. says bring Khadr home

“The kid who is in jail should be sent to Canada.”  That’s former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien speaking to the Canadian Bar Association about Omar Khadr, on August 18.  So what was he telling the U.S. when he was top man in Ottawa?  I don’t recall that message.

 

Brit terrorist promoter has Canadian connection

Aabid Khan was convicted in Britain on August 18 of promoting terrorism.  There is a Canadian connection.  He is married to a Canadian woman who is an in-law of one of the eleven (originally 18) Muslim men accused of planning terrorist attacks in Toronto.  He is alleged to have traveled to Canada and around Europe to promote terrorism, distributing literature on jihadist terrorism, bomb-making, poisons, and Pakistani training camps. 

 

 

Canadians face execution in Saudi Arabia

Mohamed

Brothers Mohamed and Sultan Kohail, Canadian citizens, are a step closer to death in Saudi Arabia.  In January last year, they were involved in a schoolyard brawl.  They were attacked by 15 other young people.  A cell phone shot of part of the incident shows the boy who died kicking Mohamed in the head while he was on the ground. 

In Mohamed’s case, the trial was partly held in secret. It was marked by the expulsion of his lawyer from the hearing.  Appeals courts raised questions about the verdict, but when the case was returned to the trial court the original finding and sentence were maintained.

Sultan

Sultan was sentenced in youth court to 100 lashes, a sentence he appealed.  However, on appeal the decision was to return him to trial, this time in adult court, where the death penalty could be imposed.