Sunday, June 28, 2009

Abousfian Abdelrazik



Welcome home Abousfian Abdelrazik

"After nearly six years of being stranded in Sudan because of a United Nations blacklist, Abousfian Abdelrazik has finally returned to Canadian soil. ... ' I am proud to be a citizen of this nation.' ... Abdelrazik, 47, has not been able to return to Canada since leaving to visit his ailing mother in Sudan in 2003. When he arrived in Sudan, he was arrested on suspicion of having links to terrorism, but was later released. Abdelrazik was never charged and in Canada, he was cleared by both CSIS and the RCMP.

More recently, Abdelrazik spent 14 months sleeping on a cot at the Canadian embassy in Khartoum, while he fought to obtain the clearance he needed to return home.

For months, Ottawa refused to issue him a passport and the UN said he remained on a terror watch list.

Earlier this month, Federal Court Justice Russell Zinn ruled that Abdelrazik should be allowed to return home and he ordered the government to take steps to bring him back to Canada within 30 days.

A short time later, the Conservative government said it would comply with the order."

Federal Court Justice Russell Zinn was quoted on CTV as saying CISIS was complicit in Abdelrazik's detention.

It wouldn't be the first time.