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Canada: Report of the Commissioner investigating the Maher Arar case

01 September 2006

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Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen was detained while passing through John F Kennedy airport in the USA, was deported via Jordan to Syria where he was "interrogated, tortured and held in degrading and inhumane conditions. He returned to Canada after his release on October 5, 2003." The Commissioner's report says "categorically" Arar committed no offence and was no threat to security. He also found that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) gave information to the USA that was "inaccurate, portrayed him in an unfair fashion and overstated his importance to the investigation." Canadian agencies relied on information "received from the Syrians which was likely the product of torture" and Canadian officials, after his return to Canada: "leaked confidential and sometimes inaccurate information about the case to the media for the purpose of damaging Mr. Arar’s reputation or protecting their self-interest or government interests."

For the press release and full-text of the report see: Statewatch's Observatory on CIA rendition and flights

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