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.
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.
Benamar Benatta and Supporters Attend Vigil
Interview with Benamar Benatta about recent vigil in Canada.
Interview with Nicole Chrolavicius about recent vigil in Canada.
Hopefully we’ll have permission to post video of the vigil that the Global National has locked down. As I understand it Nicole has inquired about obtaining the video as well.
We will keep you updated on any developments.
In the meantime, here is the latest I was able to obtain, an Indy Media interview about the case:
Interview with Benamar Benatta and Nicole Chrolavicius from Indy Media.
Canada’s First Post-9/11 Rendition Survivor Joins September 12 Vigil to Demand a Public Review
Canada’s First Post-9/11 Rendition Survivor Joins September 12 Vigil to Demand a Public Review
Benamar Benatta, Tortured and Held 5 Years by U.S. Authorities, to be joined by Lawyer and supporters at 150 King West (at York), 12 Noon, Wednesday, September 12, 2007
TORONTO - Six years to the day that he was illegally transferred to the United States, where he was tortured and detained for almost five full years, Benamar Benatta will join the first demonstration in support of his call for a public review of his case on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 12 Noon at 150 King Street West (site of the Regional Ministers’ Offices of the federal government).
While most Canadians are familiar with the case of Maher Arar, a Canadian survivor of rendition to torture, few have heard of Benatta, an Algerian refugee claimant who was handed over to the Americans on September 12, 2001. Canadian officials wrongfully identified Mr. Benatta as a suspect in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 solely based on prejudicial suspicions – he was a Muslim man who knew 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 and handed over to U.S. officials on September 12, 2001. This was an illegal transfer by the Canadian government.
In the U.S., Mr. Benatta was treated as a suspect in the September 11, 2001 attacks and was imprisoned, abused and held in conditions that the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found could be considered as torture. Despite being cleared by the FBI in November 2001 of any connection to terrorism, he spent nearly five years in detention. On July 20, 2006, Mr. Benatta was finally allowed to return to Canada and has resumed his claim for asylum. His application is currently pending.
Since his return to Canada in July, 2006, Mr. Benatta has sought a public review of his case. Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said he would look into the matter, but Mr. Benatta still does not have any answers.
While Mr. Day has shown promptness in responding to the RCMP pension scandal, he has yet to show a similar concern over a case of rendition to torture and illegal detention.
On April 19, 2007, in response to a question about Mr. Benatta, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day responded, “We want to know why this happened”. But up until now, no answers have been forthcoming.
Benatta and his supporters will call on the federal government to immediately convene a public review so that he can get answers about why five years of his life were needlessly stolen, and how future cases of rendition can be stopped.
“I have been waiting for answers for six long years,” said Mr. Benatta. “Why did the Canadian government treat me this way? On September 12, 2001, they handed me over to U.S. officials and forgot about me. They cannot pretend that never happened. I need answers in order to go on with my life.”
“The circumstances of Benamar’s case are the worst I have ever heard,” says his lawyer, Nicole Chrolavicius of bakerlaw. “He was locked away in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn under John Ashcroft’s insidious ‘preventative detention’ regime. He was forgotten by Canada. He was tortured, abused and arbitrarily detained for nearly five years. The continued delays in providing Mr. Benatta—and Canadians alike—with answers in this important case are unconscionable.”
For more information:
Benatta Coalition for a Public Review
www.benamarbenatta.com
Nicole Chrolavicius
Counsel to Mr. Benatta
nicole@benamarbenatta.com
Welcome to the Official Benamar Benatta Website
Click below to listen to the Benatta interview on CBC's "The Current".
Click Here to listen
