Richard Colvin in 2009. Image: CBC The afternoon examinations of Mr. Colvin went into overtime today, extending another 40 minutes or so beyond the scheduled close of session. Of particular interest were the issues relating to the redactions of Mr. … Read More
Features Blog
Torture? What torture?
Posted onWeek 2 of the MPCC Afghan Public Interest Hearings started off with testimony this morning from Lieutenant-Colonel Gilles Sansterre, commanding officer of the Canadian Forces National Investigative Service — the arm of the military police tasked with, among other things, … Read More
“Would you call that an adequate investigation?”
Posted onThis afternoon at the MPCC Afghanistan Public Interest Hearings, BCCLA Litigation Director Grace Pastine had the opportunity to cross-examine Lieutenant-Colonel Gilles Sansterre, the head investigator at the Canadian Forces National Investigative Service. The CFNIS is responsible for investigating serious offences … Read More
Troops knew of torture in Afghan prisons
Posted onToday’s hearings at the MPCC were open to the public again, with retired MP officer Captain Mark Naipul testifying in the morning session. Naipul had guarded detainees in Kandahar during his time in Afghanistan, and testified that Canadian soldiers were … Read More
MPCC Resumes Afghanistan Public Interest Hearings Without the Public
Posted onGlobe and Mail / Interim MPCC Chair Stannard Yesterday kicked off the resumption of testimony in the Afghan Public Interest Hearings before the Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC), which is investigating allegations made in complaints filed by the BCCLA and … Read More
The detainee buck stops where?
Posted onThe Afghanistan detainee transfer agreement of May 2007 has been cited by the government as providing for adequate monitoring and inspections of prisoners transferred by Canadian Forces to Afghan authorities. In testimony before the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission … Read More
Military commanders told of legal obligations to investigate claims of abuse
Posted onThe Toronto Star is reporting today that it has obtained a copy of a “top secret document” outlining the military’s obligation to investigate claims of transfer to torture in Afghanistan. The document at issue is a five-page memo dated May … Read More
CBSA delays laptop search Access to Information request
Posted onThe BCCLA has been following reports of searches of laptops, smartphones, and other electronic devices by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for some time now. We’ve come across a lot of stories (see here, or here, or here for just … Read More
Khadr: a “trial” by any other name
Posted onA spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said today that the federal government will not seek Omar Khadr’s repatriation, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling last week that the government has and continues to violate Mr. Khadr’s right to life, liberty … Read More
Khadr decision: what it means
Posted onToday the Supreme Court of Canada issued its decision in Prime Minister of Canada, et al. v. Omar Ahmed Khadr. The practical outcome is that, for now, the government does not have to ask for the return of Guantanamo detainee … Read More
