OTTAWA – Mohamed Harkat took the stand in his own defence Monday and denied ever having been to Afghanistan, a key point in the government case in favour of limiting his freedom with an immigration security certificate.
One of the allegations against him is that he went to Afghanistan in the 1990s and lied about it when he came to Canada.
Asked by his lawyer Matt Webber whether he had ever been to Afghanistan, he replied: "Never."
Asked again if he had ever been to the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, he again replied: "Never."
An Algerian-born Muslim, Harkat has been subject to a security certificate since 2002.
The certificate is a tool the government can use to limit the freedom of people in Canada who are not citizens and are said to be threats to Canadian national security, but who can’t be deported to their home countries for fear they would be tortured or killed by the governments there.
He was first imprisoned, and now is out of government custody but has to keep to strict conditions.
Today’s hearing is part of a judicial process to determine whether the use of the security certificate is reasonable in Harkat’s case.
The hearing continues.
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