Maher Arar's Lawyers Seek Criminal Charges Against U.S. Officials
Maher Arar, the Canadian who was secretly whisked off to Jordan and Syria where he alleges he was tortured, wants criminal charges brought against the U.S. officials who authorized his seizure and transfer.
Attorneys for Maher Arar said Thursday that Canadian criminal charges should be brought against U.S. agents responsible for spiriting the Canadian man to Syria in 2002, where he was imprisoned and allegedly tortured for almost a year.
Drawing parallels to the charges brought against CIA operatives by a Milan magistrate last week, attorney Marlys Edwardh said Canadian law defined torture as illegal wherever it occurs. Arar, 34, was seized by U.S. agents while he was changing planes in New York, questioned for 12 days and then transported in shackles to Syria.
Canada has been conducting a judicial inquiry into Arar's case:
Testimony given during the inquiry this week described extensive and highly organized involvement with Syria by both Canadian and U.S. officials, which was ongoing by 2002. According to the testimony, those involved included Canadian legal advisers, diplomats and members of the CIA and FBI, all of whom regularly approved giving the Syrians intelligence and other information to be used in interrogations.
He also has a civil suit pending against former Attorney General John Ashcroft and others, and another against Syria and Jordan.
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