Abdelrazik speaks of his time in Sudan, his 'Guantanamo'

Abousfian Abdelrazik, the Canadian detained and stranded in Sudan for six years, spoke about his experiences today. He said that a Canadian intelligence officer told him "Sudan is your Guantanamo" and harassed him and his family constantly.

Abdelrazik's account, given at a news conference at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, was described as "chilling" by Paul Koring of The Globe and Mail. While it is impossible to know whether all of the details are indeed true, they could have profound implications in Canada. In addition to telling him that Sudan would be his Guantanamo, Abdelrazik said that while being interrogated in 2003, a Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) official "told me he was not going to help a terrorist…He said you are a Sudanese not a Canadian, you should stay in Sudan forever.” Further, Abdelrazik also said that before he left for Sudan in 2003, "CSIS harassed me and my family intensively." Abdelrazik also took time to deny allegations against him, which include that he trained at an Al Qaeda camp in Afghanistan, knew Osama bin Laden, and sought to join Muslim extremists fighting the Russians in Chechnya. "I have never seen bin Laden in my entire life." Abdelrazik declared, and added that “I have never been to Chechnya…I have never hurt anyone in my life...I have never been involved in that sort of thing." Abdelrazik's story has been well documented. Some six years ago he was detained as a terror suspect in Sudan. He claims that while he was detained he was interrogated and tortured. In 2008, fearing that he would be arrested again, Abdelrazik sought refuge in Canada's embassy in Khartoum, where he remained stranded for over a year. Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing by both CSIS and the RCMP and never facing any charges, Abdelrazik was never able to return to Canada. Instead, the Conservative government sought various legal measures to ensure that he could not return. One of those measures was Abdelrazik's presence on a United Nations No-Fly list. While he has returned to his family in Montreal, he remains on the list. Abdelrazik thus faces severe restrictions including a freeze on his assets which means he cannot open a bank account or accept any financial assistance or employment as well as the inability to travel outside of Canada by air. Earlier this month, Abelrazik said "I want to come to my normal life and soon I want to remove myself from the [no-fly] list of the United Nations because this list is [unjust] and unfair and it make my life very difficult. I want to be removed from that list as soon as possible." That may prove difficult given that the U.S. holds a veto over the UN no-fly list, but Yavar Hameed, a lawyer for Abdelrazik, maintains that it is a priority to see his client's name cleared. He also reiterated that they will seek justice. "The government of Canada should acknowledge responsibility for what has happened," Hameed said. Abdelrazik added: "Abdelrazik said “I want those people who play a role in this matter to face justice, not because I seek revenge.… I want this not to happen to any Canadian citizen anymore."