ICLMG 16/06/2016 - The novelty here is twofold: 1. The data collection would happen each time someone leaves the Canadian territory. The same data collection has already been implemented at entry points. Now it applies to all entry and exit points. 2. The information sharing of these biographic data with the US has already been taking place but only for foreign nationals and permanent residents. This new legislation extends it to Canadian citizens. [...] Minister Goodale's reaction to concerns and fears about privacy is that this new data collection and information sharing will be done in accordance to both countries national privacy laws. But why should we trust this promise? Didn't we just learn about cases of information collection and sharing that transgressed our laws? And Maher Arar's case is still fresh in our legal history. How about implementing safeguards in information sharing? The Minister didn't say a word about that. Why should we wait for other abuses of the system to understand that these new powers need to be questioned and not always granted?

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L'AFSC: des pouvoirs supplémentaires mais toujours pas de mécanisme d'examen

Border Security Deal Between Canada And U.S. Reached, Will Come With $1 Billion Price Tag

Open Media 16/06/2016 - Among the other potential shortcomings of this morning's announcement are: 1. The Committee will not be empowered to hear complaints from Canadians about the activities of security agencies. 2. The Committee will need to run its reports past the government, which will remove classified information. The determination of what constitutes "classified" information will be made by the government, running the risk of making the reports functionally useless. This also means the government can determine the timing of when reports are released, a key shortcoming of the UK model. 3. Information provided to the Committee can be restricted by the Minister of Public Safety 4. The Minister of Public Safety will also have the power to shut down Committee investigations if she or he believes they will be injurious to national security. 5. Committee members will need a high-level of security clearance, and will lose their parliamentary immunity if they choose to speak out. ICLMG adds that the plan to have the Prime Minister name the members of the Committee can hurt its credibility and the public's trust as they may appear to be too close to the government. UK NGOs heavily criticized that aspect of their country's parliamentary oversight committee and highlighted the fact that in Germany, parliamentarians choose the committee's members.

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Bill to create spy oversight committee introduced in Commons

Privacy czar expresses worries about Canada's spy agency invasiveness

The Canadian Press 15/06/2016 - The RCMP watchdog has launched a review of how well the Mounties learned the lessons of the Maher Arar torture affair. The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP will examine issues ranging from the sharing of sensitive information with foreign governments to the detention of Canadians in overseas prisons. It marks the review commission's first known foray into the RCMP's national security operations since legislative changes gave it new muscle to probe Mountie intelligence efforts. "The intent of the review is to foster public confidence in the RCMP's national security activities by providing an independent, external examination of an operational area that may not otherwise be subject to outside scrutiny," says a notice posted on the commission's website.

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Detainees Describe C.I.A. Torture in Declassified Transcripts

CIA medical staff gave specifications on how to torture post-9/11 detainees

CIA considered requesting advance immunity for enhanced interrogations

British complicity in torture still needs to be smoked out, for the victims' sake

ICLMG 13/06/2016 - Dear Minister Dion, we are aware and appreciative that you and your parliamentary secretary, Mr. Omar Alghabra, are following the case very closely. Nevertheless, we strongly believe that following the case and monitoring it will not be enough to obtain the release of Dr. Homa Hoodfar. Unfortunately, we are concerned that since Dr. Homa Hoodfar is a dual-citizen, she is being used as a "bargaining chip" in negotiations with Canada on other cases and other issues. This is why Canada should speak at the very highest levels with Iranian officials and explicitly demand the release of Dr. Homa Hoodfar. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should be speaking with his Iranian counterpart and demanding the release of Dr. Homa Hoodfar while pushing for reestablishing the diplomatic relations between Canada and Iran.

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Ottawa must press Iran to release Canadian professor: Toronto Star Editorial

La Presse 15/06/2016 - « Ces citoyens incarcérés illégalement ont subi les ordres donnés par de hauts dirigeants de la Police militaire d'agresser à plusieurs reprises les personnes détenues. Imaginez-vous être capturé illégalement par une force étrangère dans votre propre pays, complètement désorienté à l'intérieur d'une cellule quelconque. Au même moment, divers "exercices" dynamiques d'une extrême intensité se déroulent tout autour de vous régulièrement. Par exemple, en pleine nuit, près de 50 membres de la compagnie de police vous réveillent spontanément, envahissant le centre de détention, exécutant ces "exercices" dans votre cellule. C'est pourtant bien très exactement ce qui s'est passé. Plusieurs policiers interrogés confirment les ordres de hauts dirigeants de la police de "terroriser" les détenus. Ces témoignages sont filmés audio/vidéo, » ont affirmé les signataires anonymes d'une lettre coup de point remise à la Presse.

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Trudeau can now get at war crimes truth

Democracy Now! 14/06/2016 - In a new article for Rolling Stone, journalist Soraya Chemaly writes, "The Washington Post reported Monday that 'although family members said [Omar] Mateen had expressed anger about homosexuality, the shooter had no record of previous hate crimes.' But that depends on how you categorize domestic violence." Mateen's ex-wife, Sitora Yusufiy, has come forward to describe how Mateen beat her and held her hostage. ThinkProgress reports that between 2009 and 2012, 40 percent of mass shootings started with a shooter targeting his girlfriend, wife or ex-wife. Last year alone, nearly a third of mass shooting deaths were related in some way to domestic violence.

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Chelsea E. Manning: We must not let the Orlando nightclub terror further strangle our civil liberties

How the FBI's pursue every lead policy allowed the Orlando shooting

Omar Mateen's interest in gay men makes this no ordinary act of terrorism

Did Islamic State claim credit for latest attacks too soon?

Democratic Gun Control Filibuster Leaves Advocates Skeptical: "We Could Be Asking for a Lot More"

The Toronto Star 15/06/2016 - For three counts of misconduct under the province's Police Services Act for ordering two mass arrests - including the prolonged boxing-in at Queen and Spadina during a torrential downpour - Fenton will instead lose 30 vacation days and receive an official reprimand. As the veteran officer received hugs and handshakes from colleagues, those who say his actions that June 2010 weekend left them forever altered left disillusioned. "The process is ludicrous, absolutely ludicrous, and doesn't bring any closure to what happened, and certainly doesn't bring any justice," said Paul Cavalluzzo, a lawyer for some of the "kettling" complainants and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. "A reprimand for violating the Charter rights of hundreds of Canadians? That's absurd." Lawyers for the complainants will now consider whether to appeal Hamilton's sentencing decision to the Ontario Civilian Police Commission. Among the first things they will examine is Hamilton's own January 2015 decision that former Toronto police chief Bill Blair could not be compelled to testify at Fenton's disciplinary tribunal.

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BBC News 16/06/2016 - Ethiopian security forces killed more than 400 people in the recent wave of anti-government demonstrations, US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) says. In its most comprehensive report into the Oromo protests, HRW lists the names of more than 300 it says were killed. Protests were sparked by fears that a plan to expand the capital into Oromia region would displace Oromo farmers. [...] The HRW report is  based on interviews with more than 100 victims and witnesses and accuses the police and army of using excessive force, reports the BBC's Ethiopia correspondent Emmanuel Igunza. Some of those interviewed allege they were hung by their ankles and beaten while others described having electric shocks applied to their feet while in detention. Several women also claim to have been raped and sexually assaulted. HRW also says that tens of thousands of people were arrested and hundreds have disappeared.

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In Honor of Berta Cáceres, Rep. Hank Johnson Introduces Historic Bill to Stop U.S. Aid to Honduras