The federal government has paid settlements totalling just over $31 million to three men falsely accused of links to terror groups, then imprisoned and tortured in Syria in the early 2000s.

"We hope that the steps taken today will support them and their families in their efforts to begin a new and hopeful chapter in their lives."

A prominent Canadian victim of abuse behind bars in Syria is calling on the government to cancel controversial directives that allow for the sharing of intelligence that could lead to torture.