Canada security service violated terror suspect’s rights: federal watchdog News
Canada security service violated terror suspect’s rights: federal watchdog

[JURIST] The Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS) [official website] violated a confessed al-Qaeda operative's civil rights, according to the Security Intelligence Review Committee [official website] in an oversight report [text] to the Canadian parliament Wednesday. Canadian citizen Mohammed Mansour Jabarah [CBC profile] was detained without access to counsel, and his confession amounted to a violation of his right against self-incrimination under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms [text]. While in custody, he admitted to belonging to al-Qaeda and plotting to bomb the US and Israeli embassies in Singapore and Manila. He was turned over to US authorities and has pleaded guilty to several terrorism-related offenses. AP has more.

CSIS has been criticized lately for its handling of terror suspects. Previously censored information released by Canada's official Arar Commission [official website] revealed that Canadian intelligence officials suspected that the United States would deport detained Canadian citizen Maher Arar [advocacy website; CBC timeline] to a country where he could be subject to torture but did not take action to stop that or otherwise protect Arar. The Security Intelligence Review Committee responsible for Wednesday's report is an independent, external review body set up in 1984 to help ensure that CSIS uses its extraordinary powers legally and appropriately.