Posted on 06/22/2002 8:40:58 PM PDT by Black Powder
Preferred to stay in jail: Last chapter in nine-year legal battle to block deportation
The government's nine-year fight to remove a suspected terrorist and trained assassin from Canadian soil ended this week when Mansour Ahani was taken from a Hamilton jail cell, loaded on to a plane and flown to his native Iran.
Mr. Ahani, who Canadian officials say is a member of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence Security, branded a terrorist organization, preferred life behind bars in Canada over returning to Iran and threw up repeated legal challenges to his deportation.
It took the government years to whittle away Mr. Ahani's legal options; he twice took his case to the Supreme Court of Canada and petitioned intervention from the United Nations. It took a month for the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada to negotiate with Iranian officials and arrange for special transportation.
On Tuesday, he was secretly taken to Toronto's Pearson International Airport, put on to a chartered plane and flown to Iran, sources said. RCMP officers and Immigration agents turned him over to Iranian authorities.
"He was determined a long time ago to be a danger to the security of Canada and, in fact, he was in detention here for close to 10 years," said Danielle Sarazin, spokeswoman for the Department of Citizenship and Immigration.
His persistence was matched by Canada's determination to oust him. "We have been relentless in our efforts to counter his attempts to stay in Canada. ... We're sending a strong message we are not going to be a haven for people who are a danger to national security," she said.
The 37-year-old father of one arrived in Vancouver from Iran in October, 1991, claiming refugee status, which he was granted the following year. "I am dead if I return," he wrote in his claim.
Mr. Ahani, an Iranian intelligence officer, said he defected after refusing a mission to destroy safe houses containing the wives and children of Iranian dissidents.
But Mr. Ahani continued to work as an Iranian secret agent, according to court documents, once travelling to Italy to kill a pro-democracy dissident. The assassination was foiled when he and an accomplice were arrested.
A month later, using a Greek passport, he returned to Canada, at which time the Canadian Security Intelligence Service labeled him a threat to national security and the process to deport him began.
Mr. Ahani's lawyers challenged deportation, saying he would be tortured or killed upon his return to Iran. The challenge was taken to the Supreme Court. In January, the court dismissed the claim. Before he could be removed, however, he sought a court injunction delaying his removal until a petition could be heard by the UN Human Rights Commission.
That request took his case a second time to the Supreme Court.
"The reality is, everyone has a right to due process if they choose to exhaust it. It is their right under the Canadian Charter," said Ms. Sarazin.
Alex Neve, Secretary-General of Amnesty International's Canadian office, deplored Canada's decision, saying Mr. Ahani is in acute danger of torture. Amnesty activists around the world had been pressuring Canada not to deport him.
"Amnesty's concern is the risk of torture in Iran. As to the criminal allegations that have been made against him, we want to see them investigated and dealt with through a criminal process that respects basic human rights standards, and protection from torture is just about as basic as you can get," he said.
The lengthy process to remove Mr. Ahani highlights changes due to come into force in one week under the new security act.
"The new act stops security threats and other people, like those involved in organized crime, war criminals and serious criminals, from using our refugee system to stay in Canada," Ms. Sarazin said. "Not only will they not be eligible to make a claim, they will not have a right of appeal."
In 1999, seven Guyanese men with extensive criminal records in Canada were flown aboard rented jets and deposited on the tarmac at the Georgetown, Guyana airport.
Iran=SWAT!!!
Oh no. Im fairly certain the Iranian government's treatment of its wayward citizens is just and fair. You know,according to Islamic law. Nice clean cells,three squares..........
So the Iranian government will terminate him for what? Failing to fullfill his mission? For being stupid enough to get caught? For both reasons, or just for general reasons, like he wasn't Muslim enough?
Anybody care to guess.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.