Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit

sent by mart - Jul 21, 2007

(This note comes from TASC - Toronto Action for Social Change -
a founding member of the Benatta Coalition for a Public Review
See contact addresses at the end of this message)

TASC
Web: www.homesnotbombs.ca/tasc.htm
E-mail:

Imprisoned. Tortured. Abused. Forgotten. Why?

The Case of Benamar Benatta:

Canada's First 9/11 Rendition to Torture

JULY 20, 2007, TORONTO -- Today Benamar Benatta marks a bittersweet
anniversary. It was one year ago that he came to Canada for the second
time, continuing his effort to be accepted here as a refugee. The first
time he came to Canada, September 5, 2001, his life changed forever,
and he wants to find out why.

Benatta born born in Algeria, but came to North America to flee
political persecution and threats to his life while serving in the
Algerian Armed Forces as an aeronautical engineer. In early September
2001 Mr. Benatta crossed the border into Canada and claimed political
asylum. Mr. Benatta was detained pending further inquiries into his
identity.

While in Canadian custody and unbeknownst to Mr. Benatta, terrorists
attacked the World Trade Centre in New York City and other targets on
September 11, 2001. Canadian officials alerted the Americans to the
presence of Mr. Benatta and identified him as a person who allegedly
had something to do with the attacks of September 11, 2001, seemingly
because he was a Muslim man who knew something about airplanes. Without
a hearing, without counsel and without conducting proceedings in his
first language (French), Mr. Benatta was unceremoniously driven over
the border in the back of a car and handed over to the Americans on
September 12, 2001. This was an illegal transfer by the Canadian
government. This was against the law.

While being held in the notorious Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention
Centre, Benatta was assigned "high security status" and detained in
solitary confinement; he was deprived of sleep; his cell was
illuminated 24 hours a day; guards regularly beat him, and kept him
constantly awake by banging on his door every half hour, a door which
had been spray-painted WTC (World Trade Centre).

Mr. Benatta was actually cleared of any terrorist suspicions by the FBI
in November 2001; however, he was never told that he was cleared. In
fact, Mr. Benatta was held incommunicado and without access to legal
counsel. In all, Mr. Benatta spent nearly five years of his life in
American prisons were he was abused and tortured (as documented by the
United Nations and the U.S. department of justice). Indeed, according
to U.S. Federal Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr.,"As a result
of the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001, the Canadian authorities
alerted United States authorities of defendant's presence and
profile ... and returned him to the United States....The defendant in
this case undeniably was deprived of his liberty, and held in custody
under harsh conditions which can be said to be 'oppressive'....To
accept the [U.S.] government's arguments "would be to join in the
charade that has been perpetrated."

In an opinion adopted in September, 2004, by the United Nations Working
Group on Arbitrary Detention, it was concluded with respect to Benatta,
"Finally, the [U.S.] Government has said nothing about the high-security
prison regime (involving impositions that could be described as
torture), which, for no reason whatsoever, was imposed on him . . ."

After all of this hardship, Benatta came across the border a year ago,
and has resumed his claim for asylum. His application is currently
pending, and like many refugees, he lives in a state of limbo, unable
to get on with his life, and haunted by some serious questions that
have yet to be answered.

How was Canada involved in all of this? Why did Canadian officials
undertake this rendition to torture?

Benatta sought intervenor status at the Iacobucci Commission
investigating the cases of torture against Canadians Ahmad El-Maati,
Abdullah Almalki, and Muayyed Nureddin, but was unfortunately turned
down. In his request for standing, Benatta had pointed out that
El-Maati, Almalki, and Nureddin "were all detained and tortured on
foregin soil allegedly because of information provided to foreign
governments (Syria and Egypt) by Canadian officials linking these men
to terrorist activities. Mr. Benatta was also detained and tortured on
foreign soil because of information provided to a foreign government
(America) by Canadian officials linking Mr. Benatta to terrorist
activities, in particular, the events of September 11, 2001."

But Iacobucci did not see it that way, and what was supposed to be a
public inquiry is in fact being held in secret, without the presence of
those three men and their lawyers.

Since his return to Canada, Benatta sought records of his earlier
refugee claim held by Canadian officials, but was informed his 2001
claim has been "misplaced." The Canadian government also erroneously
alleges that Benatta withdrew his claim for asylum prior to the
9/12/2001 rendition, but has produced no documentation to support this
outrageous claim.

Earlier this year, Benatta and his supporters began the Benatta
Coalition for a Public Review, which could certainly use the support of
everyone in this country who cares about the complicity of the Canadian
government and its so-called "intelligence" agencies in acts of torture.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1. Get more information by going to Benamar's website,
http://www.benamarbenatta.com/

Once there, sign the online petition calling for a public review. There
are also media clips from a press conference Benamar and his supporters
held in Ottawa earlier this year.

2. Write to Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, demanding that he
grant a public review of Benatta's case so that Benamar and all people
in Canada can get the answers they need, and to prevent such human
rights abuses from occurring.

Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety
Sir Wilfrid Laurier Building,
340 Laurier Avenue West, 13th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0P8

3. Invite Benamar to speak to your organization. He is fluent in
English and French, and can be contacted at

4. If you are with the media, Benamar is happy to speak with you.
Again,contact him through or via his lawyer, Nicole
Chrolavicius,

5. Donate to the costs of the Benatta Coalition for a Public Review; to
find out how, email Nicole at

Benatta Coalition for a Public Review
c/o Bakerlaw
672 Dupont Street, Suite 400
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M6G 1Z6
Web: http://www.benamarbenatta.com
Email Nicole Chrolavicius, Benatta's Attorney at:
Email Benamar Benatta at:
Email Site Administrator at:

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Niagara Coalition For Peace - NC4P
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NC4P

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