Such a certificate allows the government to arrest individuals, jail them without charges, and hold a secret trial or hearing at which neither the accused nor their lawyer have any right to see the evidence or confront any government witnesses. If a judge agrees with the government, the accused can be summarily deported. Such certificates can be used against refugees and landed immigrants (permanent residents). The Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) alleges that Harkat in his travels from Algeria to Canada had possible links with terrorist organizations.

Hilary Homes of the Ottawa branch of Amnesty International spoke at the vigil. "Being accused of terrorism means a different standard of justice," she said. "I wish I could say that Mohamed Harkat’s file was the only case on my desk but in fact there are 25 to 30 such files of other people in Canada also detained under security certificates."

Mohamed Cherfi, a spokesperson for the Non-Status Refugees Action Committee (CASS) traveled from Montreal to address the rally. CASS has mobilized hundreds of refugee applicants in Quebec from Algeria whom the Canadian government is trying to return to that country.

"I know where Mohamed would be deported," he said. "It’s Algeria and it’s very dangerous. More than 100,000 people have been killed. One person was recently deported from Canada and has disappeared, and possibly killed. I want to thank Sophie for having the courage to wage this fight." Sophie Harkat, Mohamed’s wife, has led the campaign to free her husband.

Harkat’s lawyer, Bruce Engel, noted that the trial was supposed to begin April 28 but has been postponed until the fall on a request of the defense. "We’ll be bigger and better in four months anyway," Sophie Harkat said at the rally, referring to the new trial date.

The demands the speakers and other participants put forward at the vigil included the immediate release of Mohamed Harkat, an end to deportation proceedings against him, due process and a fair trial, abolition of the security certificate mechanism, and an end to all deportations to Algeria.

In an interview with the Militant, Sophie Harkat noted that she had recently done a speaking tour of several cities in Ontario. She also said that the Canadian Auto Workers Union had sent a letter on behalf of her husband’s case. This fight is important, she said, because "we have to send a message that this is happening to other people as well. The government is attacking easy targets--immigrants and Muslims. But the fight is also to save Mohamed’s life.

"Before this happened to my husband, I wasn’t aware that these things took place. In working with different organizations, you realize that the government is doing things that are pretty crooked."  
 
 
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