Arwad al-Boushi

Arwad al-Boushi (born 1958/59) is a Syrian-born Canadian oil-industry worker.[1] He is notable for being at the center of the controversy over the detention and torture of Canadian citizens that has been attributed to Canadian counter-terrorism officials.[2][3][4]

Al-Boushi wanted to visit Syria to visit his seriously ill father in 2002.[1][5] Al-Boushi had been involved with the banned Muslim Brotherhood when he was a teenager. Prior to his departure Syrian authorities assured him his involvement with the banned The Muslim Brotherhood when he was a teenager, in the 1970s would not be a problem for him in 2002, over two decades later. He was nevertheless captured.

Al-Boushi was tried before a Field Military Court, "whose procedures fall far short of international standards for fair trials."[4]

Canadian authorities ostensibly conducted a long diplomatic campaign to pressure the Syrian authorities for his release.[6] However it is also known that Canadian authorities deliberately leaked al-Boushi's name as a terrorist to CTV News, falsely suggesting he had been flagged after Maher Arar "provided information" to his Syrian interrogators.[7]

As part of a general Amnesty al-Boushi was freed from Syrian custody on [5] According to Dan McTeague, the parliamentary secretary for the Canadian Foreign Affairs Ministry, who played a role in the Canadian government efforts to secure his release:

"He's in very good spirits, clearly delighted with the fact that he has been released,"

Al-Boushi returned to Canada on December 23, 2005.[1]

He says he does not know Maher Arar, Abdullah Amalki, Ahmad El Maati or Muayyed Nureddin, four other foreign-born Canadian Muslims the Syrians had imprisoned.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Canadian 'recovering' after Syrian incarceration: Businessman reunites with son in Toronto, won't comment on 3½ years spent in prison". The Globe and Mail. January 10, 2006.
  2. ↑ Riad Saloojee (January 17, 2005). "There's nothing sinister or secret about what we do". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on 2007-08-11. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  3. ↑ "Amnesty Calls for Release of Syrian Canadian Jailed in Damascus for Over 2 Years". Democracy Now. October 15, 2004. Archived from the original on 9 May 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  4. 1 2 "Syria: Arwad Al-Boushi". Amnesty International. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  5. 1 2 "Syria releases last of five detained Canadians". CTV. November 7, 2005. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  6. ↑ Mark MacKinnon (February 12, 2005). "Pettigrew turns up the heat on Hezbollah". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 2007-10-21. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  7. ↑ Pither, Kerry. "Dark Days: The Story of Four Canadians Tortured in the Name of Fighting Terror", 2008.
  • The forgotten Canadian
  • "Canada Gazette - Order Designating the Internal Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Emaati and Muayyed Nureddin as a Department for Purposes of the Act and the Prime Minister as Appropriate Minister - Vol. 140, No. 26 — December 27, 2006". Government of Canada. Archived from the original on 2007-08-12. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
  • The Honourable Frank Iacobucci QC LLD, inquiry commissioner. "Internal Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abouz-zElmaati and Muayyed Nureddin". Government of Canada. Archived from the original on 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2008-01-19.


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