A chronology of major milestones in the Abousfian Abdelrazik affair

MONTREAL – A chronology of events in the case of Abousfian Abdelrazik, who was cleared from a United Nations terrorism watchlist Wednesday:

-1990: Arrives in Montreal as refugee from Sudan.

-1995: Becomes Canadian citizen.

-2003: Travels to Sudan to visit his sick mother. Detained by Sudanese security officials and tortured. Questioned by two CSIS agents the following month. No charges laid.

-2004: Released, but return flight to Canada cancelled at last minute because he’s on U.S. no-fly list.

-2005: Detained again in Sudan and held for nine months.

-2006: Upon release, finds himself on United Nations Security Council blacklist, also known as the 1267 List. Stranded in Sudan because, despite being a Canadian citizen, Ottawa refuses to give him travel document needed to get home.

-2008: Lives at Canadian Embassy in Khartoum and granted safe haven there. Government refuses to give him travel document until he has plane ticket home.

-February 2009: Canadians raise money to buy him ticket home, even though it is illegal to give or loan him money to buy ticket under 1267 regulations. Government refuses to give him travel document.

-June 2009: Federal Court ruling finds he was initially arrested at request of CSIS and that former foreign affairs minister Lawrence Cannon acted illegally in preventing his return to Canada.

-June 2009: Allowed to fly home to Montreal, where the widowed father of two joins his children.

-June 2009-present: Canadian government continues to apply sanctions relating to 1267, which makes it difficult for him to work, use bank account and receive government child benefits.

-September 2009: Launches $27-million lawsuit against Cannon and Government of Canada.

-June 2010: Constitutional challenge launched to UN’s 1267 regulations and how they are applied in Canada.

-January 2011: Applies to UN to be removed from blacklist for second time, having been vetoed in 2007.

-November 2011: Request granted by UN ombudsman. Can now travel freely except in United States, have access to bank account and work again.