Feds Pressured into a New Agreement for Afghan Detainees
Canada has
gone from having the worst Afghan prisoner transfer agreement in NATO to having
the best. The BCCLA and Amnesty International were in court last month seeking
an injunction to prevent Canadian Forces in Afghanistan from transferring prisoners
to Afghan authorities because of the substantial risk of torture. Just minutes
before our counsel was to appear before a Federal court judge, the government
announced that the transfer agreement had been changed. Human rights groups had
sought an improved transfer agreement for years to no avail. As the judge said,
“This wouldn’t have happened if this court case hadn’t been happening.”
While the new agreement is a considerable improvement, serious questions remain about how the agreement will translate in practice. Growing awareness of the pervasiveness of torture in Afghanistan suggests that efforts at increased monitoring of prisoners cannot provide a sufficient safeguard against torture. We continue to call for a better approach. Our court case, which could set an important legal precedent, will likely resume in the fall. In the meantime, we celebrate a significant victory in the new agreement and thank our members for overwhelmingly supporting our anti-torture work.
In the light of recent protest controversies involving events staged by the Vancouver organizing committee of the 2010 Olympics (VANOC), the BCCLA is stepping up its effort to make sure civil liberties, particularly the right to peacefully protest, are protected in planning for security for the 2010 Olympics.
The BCCLA recently met with officials from VANOC to urge them to implement measures that would fulfill their commitments made in the "Inner-City Inclusivity Commitment Statement" including the right to "lawful, democratic protest". Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and Salt Lake City in 2002 were characterized by efforts to thwart protest and sanitize the streets of marginalized people.
The BCCLA has publicly expressed concern that the Vancouver Police Department's tactics in policing protests at VANOC events, including questionable searches and locating protest zones away from the event, are inappropriate.
Testimony at the inquest into the death of Ian Bush has bolstered the BCCLA's call for independent, civilian led investigations of any police in-custody death. Mr. Bush died while in RCMP custody in Houston, B.C. in 2005 after being arrested for giving a false name to police while being questioned about an open beer can outside a hockey arena.
Evidence at the inquest has raised concerns about the internal police investigation including the collection and treatment of forensic and witness evidence. The BCCLA's complaint into Mr. Bush's death was terminated by the RCMP and confirmed by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, the civilian agency ostensibly in charge of civilian oversight of the RCMP. The BCCLA is taking the CPC to court.
The BCCLA was alerted by a concerned parent to the Safe Schools Survey, administered to 80,000 students in BC. The survey asks sensitive questions that could elicit admissions of serious criminal activity. Researchers told students and parents that participation was anonymous, and no names were collected. However, researchers wanted to track individuals as part of their longitudinal study. In order to do this, personal information was collected that could potentially identify individuals should criminal justice authorities subpoena the data.
The survey is administered by the Institute for Safe Schools of BC to help schools deal with issues like violence, drug use, and bullying. The BCCLA worked with the researchers and the University College of the Fraser Valley to remove the questions that threatened anonymity and ensure consent was more informed. A collaborative effort by all parties helped ensure the protection of students' privacy.Want to reduce your capital gains taxes? Do you own stock, bonds or mutual funds?
If you answered “YES” to both these questions then you might want to consider making a gift of stocks, bonds or mutual funds to the BC Civil Liberties Association and reduce your capital gains taxes. It’s never too early to plan for your 2007 tax return.
Since May 2006 the Federal Government has eliminated capital gains tax on donations of appreciated shares of publicly listed securities to public charities making it an easier way to donate. This way of giving is of particular interest to the many who have enjoyed impressive capital gains in their investment portfolios, as there is now an even greater return for you the donor.
The Association has been fortunate to be the recipient of several large donations of securities over the past couple of years. These gifts help the BCCLA tremendously and are directly responsible for the success we are having in areas such as the Afghan Detainee Agreement and the Prevention of Torture Act. It allows us the freedom to go to work.
We are also fortunate to have access to financial and legal experts who are willing to help guide you through the process at no cost. If you are considering a gift to the BCCLA and have shares you wish to donate, we recommend obtaining legal advice before making the donation. If interested please e-mail Sarah Frew or call 604-630-9750 and she would be happy to arrange a free legal consultation for you.
To unsubscribe to the Update please contact us by e-mail.