Benamar Benatta’s Story in Brief
Benamar Benatta is a 33 year old Algerian citizen who trained as an aeronautical engineer. He came to North America to flee political persecution and threats to his life while serving in the Algerian Armed Forces. On September 5, 2001 Mr. Benatta crossed the border into Canada and claimed political asylum. His biggest fear was being returned to Algeria where he was certain to be tortured or killed for deserting the military. Canadian authorities put Mr. Benatta into immigration detention while they tried to ascertain his identity.
While in Canadian custody and unbeknown to Mr. Benatta, terrorists attacked the World Trade Centre in New York City and other targets on September 11, 2001. Canadian officials alerted U.S. officials to the presence of Mr. Benatta, presumably because he is a Muslim man who knows something about airplanes. Without a hearing, without counsel and without conducting proceedings in his first language (French), Mr. Benatta was unceremoniously driven over the border in the back of a car by Canadian officials and handed over to U.S. officials on September 12, 2001. This was an illegal transfer. This action by Canadian officials was the beginning of a long nightmare for Mr. Benatta.
Mr. Benatta was held in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, New York, where he was treated as a suspect in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He was beaten. He was abused. He was held in conditions that the United Nations described as torture. He was forgotten.
Mr. Benatta was actually cleared of any terrorist activity by the FBI in November 2001; however, he was never told that he was cleared because he was being held incommunicado and did not have access to a lawyer.
In all, Mr. Benatta, an innocent man, spent nearly FIVE years of his life in American prisons in conditions that could be described as torture as found by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in an Opinion adopted in 2004. Mr. Benatta also suffered serious abuse at the hands of his prison guards, which is documented by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Canadian Government, various agencies and government officials all bear some measure of responsibility for Mr. Benatta’s ordeal. Mr. Benatta has been allowed to return to Canada to resume his claim for refugee status. His application is pending. He is trying to get his life back. He is trying to find out the truth about why this happened to him.
Read Benatta’s Story for more.
Bitter anniversary for rendition victim
*From thestar.com*
Benamar Benatta was imprisoned for five years in the United States but never charged.
July 20, 2009
Benamar Benatta
I was the subject of an “extraordinary rendition” from Canada to the United States, where I was held for nearly five years and tortured as a terror suspect, even though I was innocent.
An extraordinary rendition is a transfer from one jurisdiction to another without lawful authority. When Canadian officials put me in the back of a car against my will and drove me over the border during the night of Sept. 12, 2001, and handed me to the Americans without legal authority, their actions fit with the definition of extraordinary rendition.
Today marks a bitter anniversary: three years in my struggle to get answers as to how and why the Government of Canada could have done this to me, in violation of domestic and international law.
On Sept. 5, 2001, I came to Canada seeking political asylum. I was fleeing my home country of Algeria, where I was scared that I would be killed if I stayed.
After spending seven days and nights in Canadian custody awaiting my refugee hearing, on the evening of Sept. 12, without telling me where I was going, giving me access to a lawyer or following laws of any kind, Canadian officials drove me over the border and handed me to the Americans.
You see, Canada thought I had something to do with the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks because I was a Muslim man, I was in the Algerian military and had studied aeronautics as a university student.
But they were wrong about me. I was innocent. I was even cleared by the FBI. I spent nearly five years in prison in the United States, where I was tortured and abused (according to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which produced a report about me).
Finally, I was released from prison and allowed to return to Canada to finish the refugee claim that I had started so many years before. That bitter anniversary of my “return” to Canada was three years ago today: July 20, 2006.
You would think that July 20 would be a happy anniversary for me, seeing as it was the day that I was released from prison. Well, sorry to disappoint you, but this anniversary is agony. On the day I was released, I had nothing – no money, no belongings and no family or friends to turn to.
When I arrived in Canada by prison escort, after being interviewed for hours by Canadian officials, I was allowed to leave with a U.S. lawyer who had come to help me. We headed to the local Wal-Mart, me still in my prison uniform, to find some new clothes. I will never forget the frightened little girl who ran from me, or the cashier who eyed me like I was a criminal. It is these little indignities that stick with me.
So again, it is July 20. Three years have passed since that day and I still do not have any credible answers about why Canada handed me to the Americans. In fact, hurtfully, the Canadian government denies doing anything wrong in my case. But the government caused my nightmare.
Imagine being accused of the worst terrorist attack you can imagine, even though you are innocent. Imagine the injustice of facing torture (beatings, humiliation, sleep deprivation) and being imprisoned from the age of 27 to 32.
I have no redress for the ruination of my career, for post-traumatic stress and depression, for reliving the nightmares of my detention every time I close my eyes. In fact, I still do not even have an “I’m sorry” from the government. “I’m sorry” for throwing all the laws of the land out the window. “I’m sorry” we ruined your life.
Why hasn’t the government done the right thing in my case? Why aren’t Canadian citizens putting pressure on the government to do the right thing?
Maybe the government is more concerned about protecting its image than repairing the damage. Maybe, after the horrifying case of Maher Arar, Canadians can’t accept that their government could be directly responsible for an extraordinary rendition (something reserved for more sinister nations, like the U.S. and Syria).
But it is true. It happened. And if Canada wants to continue forward as a nation that upholds the rule of law, and if Canadians want a government that promotes human rights, there must be acknowledgement of what happened.
There must be redress. And least of all, even three long years since my return to Canada, there must be an “I’m sorry.”
Rights groups demand full account on why man handed to U.S. officials
Human rights groups called on the Canadian government yesterday, (December 11, 2008) to provide a full account as to why Mr. Benatta was transferred to the United States one day after the September 11 attacks.
In a letter to Public Safety Minister, Peter Van Loan, supporters of Benatta said they were “dismayed” to learn Ottawa claims it did nothing wrong.
Such a defense “undermines public confidence in the government’s commitment to safeguarding human rights in the context of national security,” wrote representatives of groups such as Amnesty International Canada, Canadian Council for Refugees and International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group.
To read the letter that was submitted by the human rights groups click here.
To read the Toronto Star article regarding the letter, click here.
Videos from the Recent Ottawa Event
I just discovered the following videos, from “An Evening with Benamar Benatta”, the January 29th event which was held at the Public Service Alliance of Canada Hall in Ottawa recently.
Much appreciation to whomever uploaded them. Thanks!
Benamar shares details of his nightmare-experience.
Benamar’s lawyer, Nicole Chrolavicius.
Matthew Behrens speaks in support of Benamar. He is coordinator of the Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada and Stop Canadian Involvement in Torture.
Toronto man haunted by torture in U.S. jail
Latest article:
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/308114
Ben is is scheduled to speak tonight at the Noor Cultural Centre. Discussion starts at 7:30 pm. Admission: $5.
Go if you can.
Some highlights from the above article:
Benamar Benatta rarely sleeps more than three or four hours a night.
The 33-year-old former Algerian air force lieutenant still spends nights wondering why Canadian officials transported him across the border on Sept. 12, 2001 then handed him to American authorities. And, of course, there are recurring nightmares of five years spent in U.S. jails, despite being cleared by the FBI in November 2001 of having any links to the 9/11 attacks.
The Toronto man can still hear the taunts from jail guards who called him a terrorist; can still hear the jingle of keys as guards entered his cell every half-hour, waking him from a fitful slumber.
“I’m not the same person I used to be before Sept. 12, who was full of life and full of spirit,” said Benatta, whose feet and hands bear scars from his time in jail. “It’s like they’ve marked me for the rest of my life. It wasn’t only five years of detention – what they did to me will hurt me the rest of my life,” said Benatta…
Latest News Articles about Benatta’s Case
Blurbs from Ottawa Xpress: “On Jan. 30, Benatta will march with supporters to deliver a petition with close to 1,000 signatures to Prime Minister Harper…”
“Canada’s First 9/11 Rendition to Torture: An Evening with Benamar Benatta happens Tuesday, January 29, at 7:30 p.m. at Public Service Alliance of Canada Hall (233 Gilmour St., at Metcalfe).” Click here for the article in its entirety.
Click here for an extensive article at The Ottawa Citizen.
I wish to take this opportunity to wish good luck to Benamar and all the kind folks who will be marching with him on the 30th. Good luck!
Also, I’d like to remind everyone to keep spreading the word, tell your friends and family about this case and our petition… And to those who’ve taken it upon themselves to write their own personal letters to their representatives or to Editors of newspapers (online and off), thank you as well!
Though Ben has indeed finally won his refugee case, it’s not over yet. Still—no public review has been forthcoming. Not acceptable. Let’s keep making noise.
The latest from Toronto Action for Social Change…
That’s the latest. Thank you Matthew Behren and Straight Goods.
Everyone please keep spreading the word… let’s flood that petition with signatures before the 30th…
Petition problem hopefully solved
Please go here:
http://benamarbenatta.com/how-you-can-help/the-petition/
…to sign the petition! We’ve had some problems with the original one; none of those signatures were lost, but since it’s not working at this time, we’ve provided a petition right here on benamar benatta dot com for you to sign. Your signatures and comments will be added to the original one, which can be seen here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/canadians-need-the-truth-about-benatta (opens in a new window).
I’m testing it now to see if it works and if it is sufficient to meet our needs.
Ruschia
A word from Benamar
After over six years full of agony and anguish, my refugee status was granted on the 27th of this month (November) 2007, and I won the right to stay in Canada.
Although I am grateful for the right to remain in Canada, it is noteworthy to mention that I came to Canada over six years ago (on September 5, 2001) seeking asylum from political persecution—but I ended up spending years in United States prisons.
It is now clear that when Canadian officials falsely identified me to the U.S. officials as someone who has something to do with the events of the September 11, 2001 and then illegally transported me across the border on that same day and handed me over to U.S officials, they transported a refugee—not just a refugee claimant—in other words, someone who it had been determined was at risk and feared for his life and safety in his home country. Had I been granted due process and a hearing on the merits of my case on that month (of September 12) as required by Canadian and international Law, I would have been granted refugee status in Canada at that time, as it has been determined recently. Instead, Canadian Officials chose to overlook the law, put me in the back of a car and hand me over to U.S. officials where I have been tortured, abused and detained for nearly 5 years.
An adequate review process must follow. Such illegal actions in complete disregard to Canadian and international law must not be tolerated in a country were the rules of law apply. I deserve an answer as to how I came to be illegally handed over to U.S. officials in violation of Canadian and international law. In addition, Canadians need to know what went wrong in my case, whether there are any other similar cases and how future such injustices can be prevented.
Only by doing so and by correcting past mistakes, will Canada be able to restore a defamed reputation that was once cherished: a leader in the protection of human rights provisions around the globe.
Thank you,
Benamar
Events that are coming up
An Evening with Benamar Benatta:
Tuesday, January 29, 7:30 pm
Public Service Alliance of Canada Hall,
233 Gilmour Street- (at Metcalfe)-Ottawa-(Free Access )
Demand a Public Review for Benamar Benatta:
Vigil and Walk to Prime Minister’s office to Present Petitions demanding a public review
Wednesday, January 30, at 10:30 am
Meet at Eternal Flame, Parliament Hill.
Welcome to the Official Benamar Benatta Website
Press Play Button below to listen to the Benatta interview on CBC's "The Current".
