Maher Arar has thanked RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli for apologizing for the mistakes his agency made that led to Arar's detention and subsequent torture in a Syrian prison.

Arar and his wife Monia Mazigh spoke with Zaccardelli on Friday afternoon from Kamloops, B.C., a day after Zaccardelli appeared at the House of Commons committee to speak about the case.

Maher Arar, seen at a news conference earlier this month, said he spoke personally with RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli and thanked him for his public apology.
(CBC)

"My wife, Monia, and I spoke with Commissioner Zaccardelli today on the telephone, and received his personal apology. We thanked him for publicly apologizing to us and for acknowledging that serious mistakes were made that caused my family and me serious harm," Arar said in a statement.

"We also thanked the commissioner for accepting the findings and recommendations in Justice [Dennis] O'Connor's report, and urged him to ensure the recommendations that pertain to the RCMP are fully implemented as soon as possible."

Arar, an engineer who was born in Syria, was travelling back to his home in Ottawa from a family vacation in Tunisia in September 2002 when he was detained during a stopover in New York City. Within days, he was sent to Syria, where he says government officials held him, tortured him and kept him in jail for 10 months. U.S. authorities had accused Arar of having terrorist links.

O'Connor's report cleared Arar and slammed the RCMP, saying the U.S. decision to send Arar to Syria was "very likely" based on inaccurate and misleading information from the agency.

Arar disappointed with lack of disciplinary action

Arar said he told Zaccardelli that he was "very disappointed that concrete steps had not been taken to discipline those responsible."

He also said he reminded the RCMP chief that while he was in the Syrian prison, the agency had refused to give his family a letter saying he was not linked to terrorism.

"As a result, my family and I suffered terribly, and we continue to suffer terribly," Arar said.

On Thursday, Zaccardelli publicly apologized to Arar for "whatever part the actions of the RCMP may have contributed to the terrible injustices that you experienced and the pain that you and your family endured."

He also said he accepted all the recommendations of the report.

Zaccardelli said no one on the force has been disciplined over the Arar affair. He pointed out that O'Connor said none of the mistakes were done out of malice or intent to hurt anyone.

He said the errors have been reviewed and those responsible have undergone training to avoid repeating their mistakes.

No expectation of torture: U.S. State Dept.

Meanwhile, a U.S. State Department spokesman said Friday that U.S. officials had a "reasonable expectation" that Arar would not be tortured if they sent him to Syria.

Sean McCormack also admitted there was no consultation with Canadian officials before Arar was deported.

That was done after there were assurances that his treatment would meet the standards of the Geneva Conventions," McCormack said.

"We had to have a reasonable expectation that he was not going to be tortured or maltreated. We were able to assure ourselves of that."

With files from the Associated Press