Arwad al-Boushi

Arwad al-Boushi (born 1958/59) is a Syrian-born Canadian oil-industry worker.^[1] He is notable for being at the center of the controversy over the detention and torture of Canadian citizens that has been attributed to American counter-terrorism officials.^[2][3][4]

Al-Boushi wanted to visit Syria to visit his seriously ill father in 2002.^[1][5] Al-Boushi had been involved with the banned Muslim Brotherhood when he was a teenager. Prior to his departure Syrian authorities assured him his involvement with the banned The Muslim Brotherhood when he was a teenager, in the 1970s would not be a problem for him in 2002, over two decades later. He was nevertheless captured.

Al-Boushi was tried before a Field Military Court, "whose procedures fall far short of international standards for fair trials."^[4]

Canadian authorities ostensibly conducted a long diplomatic campaign to pressure the Syrian authorities for his release.^[6] However it is also known that Canadian authorities deliberately leaked al-Boushi's name as a terrorist to CTV News, falsely suggesting he had been flagged after Maher Arar "provided information" to his Syrian interrogators.^[7]

As part of a general Amnesty al-Boushi was freed from Syrian custody on ^[5] According to Dan McTeague, the parliamentary secretary for the Canadian Foreign Affairs, who played a role in the Canadian government efforts to secure his release:

"He's in very good spirits, clearly delighted with the fact that he has been released,"

Al-Boushi returned to Canada on December 23, 2005.^[1]

He says he does not know Maher Arar, Abdullah Amalki, Ahmad El Maati or Muayyed Nureddin, four other foreign-born Canadian Muslims the Syrians had imprisoned.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Canadian 'recovering' after Syrian incarceration: Businessman reunites with son in Toronto, won't comment on 3½ years spent in prison". Globe and Mail. January 10, 2006. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060110.wxfreed10/BNStory/International/. 
2. ^ Riad Saloojee (January 17, 2005). "There's nothing sinister or secret about what we do". Ottawa Citizen. http://www.caircan.ca/oped_more.php?id=1345_0_10_0_C. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 
3. ^ "Amnesty Calls for Release of Syrian Canadian Jailed in Damascus for Over 2 Years". Democracy Now. October 15, 2004. http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/10/15/157218. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Syria: Arwad Al-Boushi". Amnesty International. http://www.amnesty.ca/take_action/actions/syria_arwad_al_boushi.php. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Syria releases last of five detained Canadians". CTV. November 7, 2005. http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20051107/boushi_damascus_syria_051107?hub=TorontoHome. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 
6. ^ Mark MacKinnon (February 12, 2005). "Pettigrew turns up the heat on Hezbollah". Globe and Mail. http://www.canadiancoalition.com/forum/messages/5420.shtml. Retrieved 2007-05-25. 
7. ^ Pither, Kerry. "Dark Days: The Story of Four Canadians Tortured in the Name of Fighting Terror", 2008.

External links

• The forgotten Canadian
• "Canada Gazette - Order Designating the Internal Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Emaati and Muayyed Nureddin as a Department for Purposes of the Act and the Prime Minister as Appropriate Minister - Vol. 140, No. 26 — December 27, 2006". Government of Canada. http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partII/2006/20061227/html/si144-e.html. Retrieved 2008-01-19. ^{[dead link]}
• The Honourable Frank Iacobucci QC LLD, inquiry commissioner. "Internal Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abouz-zElmaati and Muayyed Nureddin". Government of Canada. http://www.iacobucciinquiry.ca/index.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-19. 

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