Joint Briefing Note to the U.N. Committee against Torture on the Canadian Commission of Inquiry in the case of Maher Arrar

The World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), REDRESS and the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), are members of a larger group of national and international NGOs that have been granted intervenor status in the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar (“Arar Commission”). The Arar Commission was established by the Canadian Government to investigate the treatment of Mr. Maher Arar, a Canadian-Syrian dual national. While transiting through a United States airport en route to Canada (travelling on a Canadian passport), he was detained by US authorities on the basis of intelligence information. After a relatively brief period in detention in the US, he was transferred to Syria via Jordan without any formal process and without his consent. He spent approximately one year in a Syrian detention centre where there is evidence that he was systematically tortured. OMCT, REDRESS and APT have brought this matter to the attention of the Committee through this Briefing Note to outline some of the issues raised by the case, and to identify serious problems with the process, that are seriously impairing the effectiveness of the Canadian Government's inquiry. The document is available in pdf here.