ThinkPol 26/05/2015 - The Harper government's controversial anti-terrorism bill violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Canada has ratified, according to legal analysis by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. The Vienna-based group, which Canada joined in 1973, found that Section 16 of Bill C-51, which contain amendments to the Criminal Code outlawing "advocating or promoting the commission of terrorism," places a number of direct restrictions on freedom of expression. "International standards, in recognition of their potential overbreadth, call for restrictions on freedom of expression in this area to be limited to direct and intentional incitement to terrorism, instead of broader notions such as advocating, promoting or encouraging, and they also rule out indirect intent requirements such as recklessness," OSCE report read. "This is potentially of particular concern to the media, which has a professional responsibility to report on terrorism and to ensure that the public are informed about terrorist threats and activities."

Read more - Lire plus

National Observer 27/05/2015 - Since that day in April, the letter has remained on my desk, untouched but resonant with the proverbial deafening silence. Some days I want to frame it. Some days I tell jokes about it. Some days I want to exercise my right of appeal under the Access to Information Act, and send it back to them. Most days, however, I just want to forget about it, and try not kick myself too much for giving the spy agency any more reason to look, or not look, at me. But yesterday, with the Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney making his final plea to the Canadian Senate to pass Bill C-51, the fear and confusion of that letter returned. And here's why: what I'm about to write could get me imprisoned, once the bill passe. Consider the language Minister Blaney used in his sales pitch to the Canadian Senate. Things like "no prosperity without security" and "pre-criminalization." [...] What does that even mean? "Thought crime" is the more accurate term. And that's what most average politically engaged Canadians ought to be extremely wary of.

Thought crimes like those committed by First Nations' social worker Cindy Blackstock, whose surveillance by CSIS shocked the nation. Her pre-crime: advocating on behalf of First Nations' youth and running a charity called the Have a Heart campaign. That was before Bill C-51.

 

Read more - Lire plus  

 

Review anti-terror bill in five years, Senate committee recommends

B.C. Senator Mobina Jaffer slams Bill C-51 

 

Andrew Mitrovica: Think anyone's going to repeal C-51? Don't hold your breath 

 

Britain's anti-terror law and the global assault on democratic rights

Anti-terror: Take our rights - we probably don't need those 

Embassy 27/05/2015 - The Supreme Court ruled that the government must include "additional safeguards" in the process for so-called security certificates, which allow the government to detain and deport non-citizens it has deemed a threat to national security. As a result, such individuals now have the right to what's called a special advocate-a lawyer with special security clearance who can view sensitive evidence introduced in closed-door hearings and act in their interest. But the government introduced a series of changes to passport law and procedure earlier this month through its budget implementation bill, C-59, and among them was a change to the rules for passport revocation hearings that allows a judge to use secret, sensitive information in his or her ruling. What's more, while any judge overseeing those appeals would likely have the power to appoint a special advocate if he or she wanted to, said Mr. Forcese, the judge would not be required to do so, and any advocate appointed that way would not have any powers or privileges clearly laid out by the law, as they do under the security certificate process.  "It's an obvious effort to ensure that the government can have its way with a robust challenge, and I think that's a problem," said Mr. Forcese.

Read more - Lire plus 

Omar Khadr, In his own words: "I just wish for people to give me a chance"

Special Projects, The Toronto Star 27/05/2015 - Omar Khadr is standing in his bedroom looking out at the backyard. It is his second morning of freedom after nearly 13 years behind bars, and he's embarrassed because he doesn't know how to open the window. "Oh there we go. Well that will come in handy," he says as he's shown where to lift the latch and fresh air fills the room. "It got hot yesterday. So that's one of the basic skills I'm going to learn. Is how to open my window." Open a window. Open a bank account. Get a driver's license. Get a library card. There are so many small skills to be learned by a man who has loomed large since he was shot and captured in Afghanistan at the age of 15 - a man who has never been allowed to speak publicly. For the first time since being granted bail earlier this month, Khadr spoke over two days in exclusive interviews for the Toronto Star and a documentary.

Read more - Lire plus

Watch the documentary on Omar Khadr: Out of the Shadows (video) 

In Myanmar, Muslims arrested for joining terror group that doesn't exist

U.S. border questionnaire: Is anyone in your family a "martyr"? 

Terror and the campaign to re-elect Stephen Harper: Walkom

RCMP to release rest of Ottawa shooter video as government pushes for C-51 support