This piece focuses on the cases of Adil Charkaoui & Mohammed Harkat, who are both currently being held in detention under the "Security Certificate". Adil Charkaoui a landed immigrant originally from Morocco and father of a young son, was nabbed on Wednesday May 21 in a police and security operation off the streets of Montreal.

Mohammed Harkat is an Ottawa resident and Algerian refugee, also arrested and detained under the "Security Certificate". Harkat has been detained in solitary confinement without trial since late 2002. Mohammed Harkat like Adil Charkaoui is also facing deportation from Canada without the presentation of any public evidence as to his guilt.

The "Security Certificate" allows the Canadian government to arrest, detain and deport landed immigrants, who are charged with being a "national security" threat. There is no chance of bail, detention can be indefinite and neither the person detained under the "Security Certificate" nor their defense lawyer is able to access the "evidence". The "Security Certificate" is being increasingly used to arrest, detain and deport members of Arab and/or Muslim communities throughout Canada.

Both Adil Charkaoui and Mohammed Harkat are accused of having links to "terrorist" groups such as Al-Qa'ida, however there has been no evidence presented by the Canadian State to prove the allegation, a practice allowed under Canada's post September 11th "security" laws. Turning commonly accepted judicial practice on it's head, Charkaoui and Harkat are considered guilty until proven innocent. To respond to the recent arrest of Charkaoui, the Justice for Adil Charkaoui Campaign formed in Montreal in a matter of days after his abrupt arrest. In Ottawa a similar campaign -- comprised of an alliance of progressive Muslim groups, refugee & immigrant rights organizations -- has formed to demand a fair trial for Mohammed Harkat and an end to the "Security Certificate".

To listen to an interview with Sophie Harkat (wife of Mohammed Harkat) & Yahya Abdul Rahman a community organizer with the Justice for Adil Charkaoui Campaign visit:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=7162

To get more information on the Justice for Adil Charkaoui Campaign visit:
http://www.montrealmuslimnews.net/adilfile.htm

To get more information about the case of Mohammed Harkat visit:
http://www.montrealmuslimnews.net/harkat