- Abdellah Ouzghar
Abdellah Ouzghar is a joint citizen of
Canada andMorocco , who was arrested in Canada shortly after theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks , on suspicion of ties to terrorist organizations.cite news
url=http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1168642210734&call_pageid=1020420665036&col=1014656511815
title=Extradition fight far from finished: Ruling 'major blow' against French case
date=January 13 2007
accessdate=2007-01-13
publisher="Hamilton Spectator "
author=Marissa Nelson] A man inTaiwan had been found to be using Ouzghar's passport, which had been doctored. France charged Ouzghar with "forgery, uttering a forged document and two related conspiracy charges".Life
A
truck driver by trade, [http://www.thestar.com/News/article/170751 Judge rejects terror claim against man: Ottawa must decide whether to allow Canadian's extradition to France after court rules he didn't belong to terrorist group] , "Toronto Star ",January 13 2007 ] Ouzghar claims that he was initially approached at his Montreal home in 1996, and asked to work as a spy forCanadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), but refused on religious grounds - leading to an attempt to "set him up" by the intelligence service. CSIS admits having interviewed him at the time, but denies that they were trying to recruit him. [CTV News , [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1042574729231_37983929// Man facing deportation refused to spy for CSIS] , January 14, 2003 ] [CBC, [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2003/01/20/ouzghar_030120.html CSIS never wanted Ouzghar as spy: official] , January 20, 2003]Arrest and release
John Norris, Ouzghar's lawyer, argues that even if Ouzghar was involved in forging a passport, that crime would have occurred in Canada, and should be prosecuted in Canada. His extradition hearing was told how
Zoheir Choulah 's conviction in France showed a number of phone calls between Choulah and Ouzghar while the latter was living inMontreal .CNews, "Phone records link Hamilton man to Muslims convicted of terrorist links", January 15 2003]While facing extradition, Ouzghar became a
computer technician . During the raid on his house, a videotape was seized which was later said to "sing the praises of jihad". [National Post , "If I jihad a nickel for each 'victim' ...", December 1 2001]Justice
Susan Himel , who took up responsibility for Ouzghar's case when an earlier judge bowed out due to ill-health, made a ruling onJanuary 12 2007 , stating that "...there was insufficient evidence to show Ouzghar was a member of a terrorist group."References
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