Siksay calls on government to abolish security certificates

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 27, 2006

Ottawa - NDP MP Bill Siksay (Burnaby Douglas) today joined human rights activists and Amnesty International to denounce the government’s use of security certificates.

Security certificates are used for indefinite detention of non-citizens who are suspected security threats. They permit secret trials with secret evidence.

“Our government must answer for its continued use of security certificates, which deny open and fair trials, the right to appeal and threaten deportation to imprisonment, torture, or even death,” said Siksay.

“The security certificate process is fundamentally unjust and flawed. There is a complete disregard for human rights and the presumption of innocence, these should not be features of our justice system,” said Siksay. “We cannot compromise human rights and civil liberties under the guise of national security.”

Currently four Muslim and Arab men have been detained without charge under security certificates. The four imprisoned detainees were recently transferred to a new jail in Kingston, Ontario. The facility is to be used for the long-term detention of those under security certificates.

“This new facility institutionalizes the use of security certificates,” said Siksay. “I am deeply concerned that the creation of a new facility for this purpose indicates the intention of our government to continue indefinitely to detain people.”

Siksay gave notice that he will be calling on the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to visit the new facility. He also tabled a motion (M-138) which calls on Parliament to eliminate the use of security certificates.

“The security certificate process is undemocratic and violates fundamental human rights,” said Siksay. “This procedure must be abolished.”

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For further information, please contact:

Office of Bill Siksay: 613 996-5599
Or Ian Capstick, Press Secretary: 613-720-6400 or ian@ndp.ca