An Ottawa man detained for alleged terrorist ties says his life for the past three years has been like "a nightmare" and is terrified of the prospect of being deported to his native Algeria.
Mohamed Harkat says he remains mystified about why he spent more than three years in a Canadian prison without being charged.
"This is the first time for me in jail. It's a tough time … a nightmare going through all this stuff … I can't sleep," Harkat told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa on Monday.
Mohamed Harkat was released on bail last month, but remains mystified as to why he was held in jail for more than three years.
(CBC)
Harkat, flanked by his wife Sophie Harkat and lawyer Matt Webber, was released on bail last month under strict conditions while a federal court considers if he can remain on bail until the government decides whether to deport him.
But both Harkat and his lawyer said that he faces dire consequences if he is returned to Algeria because he has been identified by the Canadian government as having alleged links with al-Qaeda.
"If in the end they send me to Algeria, I'm going to be dead and tortured. You're never going to see me alive again," said Harkat.
In December 2002, Harkat was arrested by Canadian authorities on a security certificate that cited his alleged ties with terrorists.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service accused him of being an al-Qaeda "sleeper agent," and alleged that Harkat trained under Osama bin Laden's top lieutenants in Afghanistan. He has denied the allegations.
Harkat is one of five Muslim men facing deportation on national security certificates issued under federal immigration law. All five have been held as a result of secret evidence they're not allowed to see.
"I wish I knew why they kept me in jail," Harkat said when reporters asked him why he thought CSIS had singled him out.
His lawyer expressed frustration at the lack of disclosure of evidence against his client and the government's attempts to send Harkat to Algeria.
"In this war on terrorism … there is strong incentive or motive to be seen as if you're doing something," said Webber.
Harkat arrived in Toronto in 1995 from Malaysia using a fake Saudi passport.
He applied for refugee status claiming a fear of persecution by the Algerian government. He moved to Ottawa, married and worked most recently delivering pizzas and pumping gas. His refugee status was granted in February 1997 and he applied for permanent residence the next month.
Harkat's next court date is expected to be later this summer, when a federal court will rule on whether he can remain on bail until the government decides whether to deport him.
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