http://kerrypither.com author • advocate • commentator Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:04:53 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://kerrypither.com/2011/01/heres-to-all-those-breaking-through-the-fear-barrier-in-egypt/ http://kerrypither.com/2011/01/heres-to-all-those-breaking-through-the-fear-barrier-in-egypt/#comments Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:03:55 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=613 because of unsubstantiated allegations made by Canada's spy agency, CSIS, which also supplied the questions to his interrogators (I wonder how CSIS is feeling about potentially losing those thugs as allies?). So, to help us all understand just what "breaking through the fear barrier" means in Egypt here's an excerpt from my book about Ahmad's experience in one of the Mukhabarat's detention centres, the Mabahith Amn al-Dawla al-’Ulya (State Security Investigations services) headquarters, in the heart of Cairo.]]> http://kerrypither.com/2011/01/heres-to-all-those-breaking-through-the-fear-barrier-in-egypt/feed/ 0 http://kerrypither.com/2010/06/found-archived-arar-inquiry-website/ http://kerrypither.com/2010/06/found-archived-arar-inquiry-website/#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:41:20 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=577 here.]]> http://kerrypither.com/2010/06/found-archived-arar-inquiry-website/feed/ 0 http://kerrypither.com/2010/02/iacobucci-inquiry-reveals-new-ways-that-csis-contributed-to-the-torture-of-canadian-ahmad-el-maati-in-egypt/ http://kerrypither.com/2010/02/iacobucci-inquiry-reveals-new-ways-that-csis-contributed-to-the-torture-of-canadian-ahmad-el-maati-in-egypt/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:15:12 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=542 newly released information says that in June 2002, CSIS agents sent a message to Egyptian authorities trying to confirm that El Maati was in detention there, and telling them, among other things not disclosed, that he was involved in a plan to commit a terrorist act in Canada. Justice Iacobucci has already confirmed that that this allegation was not based on evidence, but on an alleged “confession” obtained earlier from Syrian authorities – a “confession” that Iacobucci says CSIS should have known was likely the product of torture.]]> http://kerrypither.com/2010/02/iacobucci-inquiry-reveals-new-ways-that-csis-contributed-to-the-torture-of-canadian-ahmad-el-maati-in-egypt/feed/ 0 http://kerrypither.com/2009/12/art-installation-depicting-syrian-detention-conditions-unveiled-in-ottawa-torture-survivors-still-seek-justice/ http://kerrypither.com/2009/12/art-installation-depicting-syrian-detention-conditions-unveiled-in-ottawa-torture-survivors-still-seek-justice/#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:08:20 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=477 here. Ottawa — Three Canadian torture survivors were at a news conference in Ottawa today to unveil an art installation depicting some of the suffering they endured in a Syrian military intelligence detention centre. Created by Ottawa artist Jenn Farr and builder Erik Windfeld, “El Abbar” (the grave) is a life-size replica of one of the underground, tiny, dark cells at the now infamous Far’ Falastin (Palestine Branch) Syrian detention centre. Ahmad El Maati was locked into one of these cells for two and a half months before being sent to Egypt. Abdullah Almalki survived one year, three months and twenty-five days in the tiny space. Beside him, Maher Arar was locked up for ten months and ten days. Muayyed Nureddin was locked into an over-crowded “common” cell down the hall. El Maati, Almalki and Nureddin said they hope the installation will help Canadians, and the government, better understand the horrors of torture. “I think it is very difficult for anyone to truly comprehend the conditions I was kept in – the loss of control over every aspect of my life, the filth, the smell, the constant sounds of people being tortured, the constant fear that I would be next and the feeling of being buried alive,” said Almalki. “I hope this will at least get people thinking, and better understanding, the horrors of torture.”]]> http://kerrypither.com/2009/12/art-installation-depicting-syrian-detention-conditions-unveiled-in-ottawa-torture-survivors-still-seek-justice/feed/ 0 http://kerrypither.com/2009/05/why-the-government-wont-let-abousfian-abdelrazik-come-home/ http://kerrypither.com/2009/05/why-the-government-wont-let-abousfian-abdelrazik-come-home/#comments Wed, 13 May 2009 11:14:20 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=340 http://kerrypither.com/2009/05/why-the-government-wont-let-abousfian-abdelrazik-come-home/feed/ 0 http://kerrypither.com/2009/04/im-betting-obrian-had-it-right/ http://kerrypither.com/2009/04/im-betting-obrian-had-it-right/#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:00:22 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=311 http://kerrypither.com/2009/04/im-betting-obrian-had-it-right/feed/ 0 http://kerrypither.com/2009/03/public-safety-committee-to-hear-testimony-on-the-iacobucci-inquirys-report/ http://kerrypither.com/2009/03/public-safety-committee-to-hear-testimony-on-the-iacobucci-inquirys-report/#comments Sun, 01 Mar 2009 23:21:54 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=266 Iacobucci Inquiry, and the recommendations of the Arar Inquiry. These hearings are crucial. We've heard nothing from the government since the report's release in October last year: The report confirmed that Canadian agencies did contribute to the detention of Ahmad El Maati and Muayyed Nureddin, and to their torture and the torture of Abdullah Almalki (by, for example, supplying the questions to those interrogating and torturing them). No-one in government has apologized to the men. There's no sign that any Canadian official has been held accountable for their actions. And the Conservative government is still ignoring the Arar Inquiry's recommendation, made more than two years ago, for effective and integrated civilian oversight of the agencies that carry out national security investigations. And without that oversight mechanism in place, it isn't clear how Canadians can be confident that many of the Arar Inquiry's other recommendations have been implemented. ]]> http://kerrypither.com/2009/03/public-safety-committee-to-hear-testimony-on-the-iacobucci-inquirys-report/feed/ 0 http://kerrypither.com/2008/10/why-canada-wont-let-abousfian-abdelrazik-come-home/ http://kerrypither.com/2008/10/why-canada-wont-let-abousfian-abdelrazik-come-home/#comments Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:45:31 +0000 kerry http://kerrypither.com/?p=83 http://kerrypither.com/2008/10/why-canada-wont-let-abousfian-abdelrazik-come-home/feed/ 2