Canada denies passport to blacklisted citizen
The Conservative government reversed itself today and denied an emergency passport to Abousfian Abdelrazik, preventing the Canadian citizen - blacklisted as a terrorist - from flying home to Montreal.
In a terse explanation, it said Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon considers Mr. Abdelrazik a national security threat.
In a one-sentence letter, delivered this morning to Mr. Abdelrazik's lawyers, the justice department said "the minister of foreign affairs has decided to refuse your client's request for an emergency passport." It cited Section 10.1 of the Canada Passport Order which says "the minister may refuse or revoke a passport if the minister is of the option that such action is necessary for the national security of Canada or another country."
It's been reported on numerous occasions that CSIS, the RCMP and the Sudanese government have all cleared Abdelrazik. No one can point to any proof that he's a threat to anyone's security. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Lawrence Cannon is a big fat liar. Our government seems intent on keeping a citizen of this country in a form of prison indefinitely without any kind of due process. Have they come up with a variation that even the Bush administration didn't think of?
H/t to Chet Scoville
Update:
The Globe's headline didn't really sink in at first but the use of the word "blacklisted" really is appropriate here. Whether it's Abousfian Abdelrazik or George Galloway or who knows who else, the government seems to be making up a list of people it doesn't like and just arbitrarily keeping them out of the country by whatever means it can dream up. Joe McCarthy would be proud.
Given that we have a Minister of Industry Science and Technology who is a believer in creationism over Evolution, it is scary to consider where the Minister of Foreign Affairs gets his.
Not from CSIS:
Not from the RCMP:
Not from the Americans:
Not even from the Sudanese ...
Does he know something we do not - does he talk to people that are not there?
No, it's the U.S. list, as Alison wrote somewhere last week, and as that quite good Globe report says.
The UN list allows for direct repatriation of citizens, and there is supposed to be an absolute right of return for Canadian citizens to Canada. So the only variable left in play is that U.S. no-fly list, which no one understands, no one can explain, and from which few are ever removed, in spite of everything -- witness Maher Arar.
It's fiendish and sadistic, and our government (and probably our airlines) simply give in to this tyranny.
I barely recognize this country anymore.
Beijing York | April 3, 2009 12:51 PM | Reply
I barely recognize this country anymore.
As Harper said a few years ago: "When I'm done you won't recognize Canada anymore".
He's changing us very quickly in the just over 3 yrs. he's been in power & is escalating now as his time will soon be done.
Transport Canada :
"Transport Canada and other senior Government of Canada officials should be mindful of the potential reaction of our U.S. counterparts to Abdelrazik's return to Canada as he is on the U.S. No-Fly List and the Department of Treasury's Specially Designated Nationals and blocked Persons."
Canada feared U.S. backlash over man trapped in Sudan
"Senior government of Canada officials should be mindful of the potential reaction of our U.S. counterparts to Abdelrazik's return to Canada as he is on the U.S. no-fly list," intelligence officials say in documents in the possession of The Globe and Mail.
"Continued co-operation between Canada and the U.S. in the matters of security is essential. We will need to continue to work closely on issues related to the Security of North America, including the case of Mr. Abdelrazik," the document says."
G&M, July28,2008
Its has become clear that Canadian Citizenship is worthless now, so long as this government is in power. Tough luck if you are imprisoned in another country, even if you have been cleared by our own security services.
They are, by the proper and historical definition of the word, fascists.
Correction : Date of G&M account was July 24, 2008
They were referring to documents, dated April 30, 2008.
How far does the 'no fly list' extend .... I understand the Sudanese government offered to fly him back on one of their diplomatic flights.