Maher Arar and extraordinary rendition
Thursday, September 18th, 2008In chapter 6 “Basic Rights” under section 6.2.1 “Habeas Corpus” I briefly mention the case of Maher Arar, a Canadian who was abducted in New York and taken to Syria, where he was tortured and detained without any legal justification. Since then Arar has been cleared by the Canadian government of any connection to terrorism. His appeal of his case is still pending in US court, after having been twice declined on the basis that simply hearing his case would pose a threat to United States national security.
Today Arar was the guest on Fresh Air with Terry Gross on National Public Radio. His story is shocking, compelling, and horrifying to people who believe in basic human rights. For anyone who missed it, this interview is well worth a listen.
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