In his written representation, Abdelrazik’s lawyer Paul Champ argues the witnesses are “very experienced dealing with highly confidential matters” and calls the suggestion that they might blurt out classified information “speculative at best.”
“The open court principle is especially important in this case because it involves allegations of malfeasance and complicity in serious human rights abuses by senior government officials,” he writes.
“There is a strong public interest in the public hearing government witnesses defend their actions in this case.”
CBC News is seeking to intervene in the case, arguing the Crown’s motion “would unjustifiably limit the open court principle and infringe upon the freedoms of expression and of the press.”
Abousfian Abdelrazik was arrested during a 2003 visit to his mother in Sudan. He spent the next six years in prison or in forced exile at the Canadian embassy in Khartoum as his attempts to return to Canada were continuously rejected by the federal government. He was never charged.
This is how you create terrorists.
Last month, the Crown filed a motion asking that six of its witnesses be allowed to testify behind closed doors “to avoid injury to Canada’s international relations, national defence and/or national security.” The witnesses in question are current and former members of CSIS, the RCMP and Global Affairs Canada.
If you need secrecy to protect your international relations, you’re up to some dirty shit.
“The open court principle is especially important in this case because it involves allegations of malfeasance and complicity in serious human rights abuses by senior government officials,” he writes.
Goddamn right. The man was imprisoned and (allegedly) tortured. You need to explain that.
