CSIS had concerns about Abdelrazik’s motives ahead of trip to Sudan, investigator testifies

Canada’s intelligence agency, CSIS, compiled a detailed file on Abousfian Abdelrazik’s suspected terrorism ties in the early 2000s. However, the validity of this intelligence was questioned during Abdelrazik’s Federal Court case.

Abdelrazik, a 62-year-old Canadian citizen of Sudanese descent, is suing the federal government for $27 million, alleging complicity in his arbitrary imprisonment and alleged torture in Sudan starting in 2003. He has consistently denied any involvement with terrorism.

During the court hearing, a CSIS employee, identified only as ‘C’, testified as one of the lead investigators on Abdelrazik’s file in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The witness presented reports from two decades ago analyzing Abdelrazik’s intercepted conversations and internet searches leading up to his detention in Sudan.

The defense, representing the federal government, suggested that CSIS was concerned about Abdelrazik’s associations and potential sympathies towards Sunni Muslim extremism. The agency believed that Abdelrazik expressed a desire to die a martyr, based on intercepted conversations and internet activity.

Abdelrazik’s lawyer, Paul Champ, challenged the accuracy of some statements presented to ‘C’, stating that they were either false or unverifiable. The federal lawyer, Andrew Gibbs, clarified that the documents were being shown to reflect CSIS’s beliefs at the time, not as proof of their accuracy.

According to evidence presented in court, CSIS first became interested in Abdelrazik in 1996 due to his connections with individuals suspected of posing national security threats. Over the years, the agency built a comprehensive file detailing Abdelrazik’s associations and activities.

‘C’ testified that CSIS considered Abdelrazik’s conversations and internet searches to be concerning. The agency monitored websites visited by Abdelrazik, some of which glorified suicide bombings. In an intercepted conversation, Abdelrazik allegedly expressed a desire to become a martyr, further raising CSIS’s suspicions.

The witness also mentioned visiting and interviewing Abdelrazik both in Canada and Sudan. Abdelrazik was arrested in Sudan during a 2003 visit to see his mother and was questioned by Sudanese officials and CSIS agents about suspected extremist links.

Despite never being charged with terrorism offenses, Abdelrazik endured years of detention and interrogation. The RCMP cleared him in 2007, stating that there was no substantive evidence linking him to criminal activity.

The court case continues, with ‘C’ expected to provide further testimony and undergo cross-examination. The complexity of Abdelrazik’s lawsuit against the federal government highlights the challenges of balancing national security concerns with individual rights and liberties.