updatedUN visit aims to get Abdelrazik off terror watchlist
Canadian has been on list since 2006
CBC News
Posted: Jun 15, 2011 9:47 AM ET
Last Updated: Jun 15, 2011 7:35 PM ET
Abousfian Abdelrazik has been on the UN's terror watchlist since 2006. (Sean Kilpatick/Canadian Press)
Related
Related Links
External Links
(Note:CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external links.)
A delegation representing a Canadian who is trying have his name removed from a United Nations terror watchlist will meet with the group's representatives in New York Thursday.
Abousfian Abdelrazik is the only Canadian on the UN's 1267 al-Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee blacklist. He spent six years in forced exile in Sudan, some of which was spent in prison where he said he was tortured.
His name was placed on the UN blacklist in 2006 because of allegations he was a possible al-Qaeda operative. He was allowed to return to Canada in 2009.
The Sudanese government, the RCMP and CSIS have exonerated him of all accusations of terrorism, but he remains on the list.
Abdelrazik said his life has been "frozen completely" because of this, as he is not allowed to travel outside of Canada, nor can he have a job or a bank account.
He said he is hopeful, however, that his name will eventually be removed from the list.
"I see myself [as an] innocent person," he said, adding that he wants to "live my life normally with my kids, like everybody else."
Dolores Chew, who is with the South Asian Women's Centre and is a member of the delegation travelling to the UN, said the goal is clear.
"We want to ask the 1267 regime to take Abousfian Abdelrazik off the list," she said. "That's a very basic demand, it's very clear to us it can be done and we want it to be done."
Chew said she is optimistic that they will succeed.
"With all the community support, the mainstream support from Canada's own intelligence agencies, we feel he needs to be taken off the list. There is absolutely no reason for him to be there," she said.
The delegation is made up of a wide range of support groups, including labour organizations, community groups and faith-based groups.
Share Tools
Latest Montreal News Headlines
- Missing men found dead in Oka lake
- Two young men were found dead in the Lake of Two Mountains Sunday morning, nearly 18 hours after they disappeared into the water in Oka provincial park. more »
- Shawinigan takes Memorial Cup in OT win over London
- Anton Zlobin scored his second goal of the game 17:51 into overtime to lift the Shawinigan Cataractes to their first MasterCard Memorial Cup title with a 2-1 victory over the London Knights on Sunday night. more »
- Quebec tornadoes cause millions in damage
- Environment Canada confirms that two tornadoes — one of which was classed as a moderate F-1 packing winds of up to 150 km/h — touched down near Montreal Friday night, causing millions of dollars in damage. more »
- Woman hit by stray bullet on the Plateau
- A 25-year-old woman is recovering from a gunshot wound after she was hit by a stray bullet fired into a crowd on the Plateau early Sunday morning. more »
Top News Headlines
- Canadian Pacific strikers face back-to-work legislation
- Labour Minister Lisa Raitt is prepared to end the Canadian Pacific Railway strike if necessary, after both CP and the union rejected a proposal for voluntary arbitration by the government-appointed negotiator on Sunday. Raitt says she is "extremely disappointed."
more »
- Quebec students and province to resume talks
- Quebec's university student federation has confirmed negotiations between student leaders and the provincial government will resume Monday afternoon. more »
- Tropical storm Beryl strikes southeast U.S. coast
- Tropical storm Beryl has arrived at the southeastern U.S. coast, bringing heavy rain, winds and the possibility of flooding. more »
- Ryder Hesjedal wins prestigious Giro d'Italia
- Victoria native Ryder Hesjedal has become the first Canadian to win one of the cycling world's three Grand Tour events, wrapping up the 2012 Giro d'Italia with an excellent performance in the final stage in Milan. more »
- Syrian regime denies role in Houla massacre
- The UN Security Council condemned the Syrian regime at an emergency meeting Sunday, holding president Bashar al-Assad's military responsible for the massacre of more than 100 people, dozens of whom were children younger than 10 years old. more »
Most Viewed/Commented
- Quebec students and province to resume talks
- Quebec tornadoes cause millions in damage
- Quebec students ready for tuition hike, says one leader
- Montreal protesters march in peaceful defiance
- Missing men found dead in Oka lake
- Woman hit by stray bullet on the Plateau
- Quebec students challenge Bill 78 in court
- Bookies set odds on Quebec student protest
- Mysterious photos may shed light on 2004 Quebec homicide

