CALL FOR COURT SOLIDARITY WITH THE CHARKAOUI FAMILY

LET'S PACK THE COURT! SOLIDARITY WITH ADIL CHARKAOUI THIS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER
28TH

Important UPDATE and Call to come to court

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REMINDER: Come out to court on FRIDAY, 28 November, starting at 9:30am.
Hearings normally last until about 4pm, with a lunch break. The hearings
will take place at 30 McGill St., Metro Square Victoria, Montreal. The
Coalition is calling for a strong presence in court as a show of solidarity
with the Charkaouis, who have been struggling for very basic rights for five
years and nine months.
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***New scandal in Charkaoui case:
After five and a half years, CSIS asks for time to gather evidence
Judge decides: Show trial will proceed on the basis of CSIS opinions, no
need for evidence

On Friday morning, the Quebec Bar Association will appear in court to argue
that it should be allowed to intervene in Adil's case. The Quebec Bar
Association wants to present its arguments that the security certificate law
remains unconstitutional (see their written arguments here:
www.adilinfo.org/en/updates).

During Monday's hearings, a very lively debate - some of it at high
decibels - took place between Charkaoui's lawyers and the Federal Court
judge.

Charkaoui's lawyers argued for a complete review of his bail conditions,
before and separately from public hearings on the security certificate. His
lawyers had requested this review in April 2008, arguing that his detention
is illegal because C-3 itself is unconstitutional. They also argued that the
public hearings on the certificate should not take place before the
government hands over evidence. On 27 October, CSIS admitted to the judge
that it needed more time - six months - to gather information to support its
case against Adil. Five and a half years into the case, it turns out that it
is not only Adil and his lawyers who haven't been given disclosure; CSIS
hasn't even given it to the judges or the Ministers who signed the
certificate in the first place! CSIS's admission came as a result of a June
2008 Supreme Court ruling that intelligence reports, and in particular
summaries of alleged interviews, were definitely not a sufficient basis for
the security certificate process; CSIS would have to back up its opinions
with actual evidence (photos, recordings, notes, etc.).

Adil's lawyers demanded to have a full and final set of all evidence
available to them (ie, everything that is not withheld on grounds of
national security) as well as a 'snapshot' of the entire case (including the
secret parts) before they begin any public hearings on the security
certificate.

Astonishingly, on Wednesday, the judge ruled that the public hearings on the
certificate must proceed on Monday, 8 December, before the missing evidence
is handed over either to the judge or Adil, let alone the other information
Adil would need to know the case against him. She also said that two days of
secret hearings would take place on 3 and 4 December, which could lead to a
new summary of information being released on the Friday before the show
trial. This could well lead to the kinds of sensationalist headlines which
we saw in February 2008, when the Federal Court posted CSIS's unproven
allegations on their website. This would create a huge prejudice against
Adil just before he heads into an already astonishingly unjust process - a
show trial, which is the public face of a secret process to determine
whether Adil will be deported to face torture.

!!!!!OTHER WAYS OF SHOWING YOUR SOLIDARITY!!!!!

If you can't make it to hearings on Friday, please:

* Ask your group to join Federal Court Watch:
www.adilinfo.org/en/federal-court-watch

* Participate in the cross-Canada day of Action against secret rendition
hearings on Wednesday, 10 December:

- In Montreal: Theatrical Action at NOON outside the Federal Court (30
McGill St., Square Victoria metro) on Wednesday, 10 December. More details
at www.adilinfo.org.

- Outside Montreal: contact tasc@web.ca (english) or
justiceforadil@riseup.net (french).

-------------------------------------
Coalition Justice for Adil Charkaoui
www.adilinfo.org
justiceforadil@riseup.net
tel. 514 848 7583

To subscribe to our listserve: justiceforadil-subscribe@lists.riseup.net