Thursday, April 16, 2009


INTERNATIONAL/CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS:
BRING ABOUSFIAN ABDELTAZIK BACK TO CANADA:
The following is an appeal from the Canadian branch of Amnesty International, asking you to petition the Canadian government to allow Sudanese Canadian Abousfian Abdelrazik to return to Canada. The actions of the Canadian government are rather interesting in this case, as if anything the Sudanese government deserves the label of "terrorist". It is also somewhat reminiscent of the American(and Canadian ??) government's use of their so-called "enemy", the government of Syria, to apply torture to various individuals under suspicion here in north America. One should never take the pronouncements of any government as to who are their friends and who are their enemies as given truths.
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Help bring Abousfian Abdelrazik back to Canada:
"Those Canadians who sent me messages of support have touched me deep in my heart.
I am so thankful for the letters, all of the support means so very much to me."
Sign the petition to bring Canadian home after 6 years in Sudan
A man from Montreal is living in the lobby of Canada's embassy in Sudan ... to protect him. He was picked up 6 years ago, detained, ill-treated, then released and declared innocent, but now finds himself in limbo.
Please help bring Abousfian Abdelrazik home to Canada.
In March 2003, Abousfian Abdelrazik, a dual Canadian-Sudanese citizen, left his home in Montreal with his family to visit his mother in Khartoum, Sudan. By the end of that year, he had been detained, reportedly tortured, and accused of connections to terrorism. After being released and declared “innocent” by the Sudanese authorities, he was nonetheless designated a “terrorist” by the United States and placed on the United Nations no-fly list. Subsequently cleared in writing by both the RCMP and CSIS in 2007 - and with Canada supporting the removal of his name from the UN list - Mr Abdelrazik nonetheless remains stranded in Sudan.
The main obstacle to his return home is, surprisingly, the Canadian government.

Mr Abdelraizik’s six year ordeal in Sudan raises troubling questions about the role that Canadian officials have played in his arrest, detention, alleged ill-treatment, and subsequent obstruction of his right to return to Canada.

Although no longer in detention, concerns about Mr Abdelraizik’s safety in Sudan were serious enough for Canadian officials to grant him refuge within the Khartoum embassy in April 2008. Like all citizens, he is entitled to emergency travel documents to return home. But every time Mr Abdelrazik met the government’s terms for granting him emergency travel documents, new conditions were set. Initially this revolved around securing an airline reservation and fully paid ticket.
On April 3, 2009 – the day he was set to finally board a plane home – the Canadian government reneged on this promise and set the seemingly impossible condition of requiring Mr Abdelrazik to ensure that his name is removed from the UN no-fly list.

It's time for Canada to conform to international human rights law and do what's right for Mr Abdelrazik.
1. Everyone has the right to return to their country of citizenship
2. The UN no-fly list has a specific exception allowing a person to return to their home country
3. Governments are legally obligated to assist their citizens overseas
Click here to sign Amnesty's petition to allow Abousfian Abdelrazik to fly home to Canada.

Mr Abdelrazik's case in the news(link to Globe and Mail website)
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THE PETITION:
Please go to the link highllighted in the article above to sign the following petition to the Canadian government.
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The Honourable Lawrence Cannon:
Dear Minister Cannon:
Like all citizens, Abousfian Abdelrazik has the right to return home. As long as he remains in Sudan, his safety is at risk.
It’s time to reunite Abousfian Abdelraik with his family in Canada.I urge the government of Canada to:
***drop the requirement that Mr Abdelrazik seek the removal of his own name from the UN no- fly list.
***ensure Mr Abdelrazik’s safe return to Canada without further delay.

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