RCMP interviewing Canadians held in detention camps in Syria: sources
RCMP interviewing Canadians held in detention camps in Syria: sources
CTV News has learned RCMP officers are currently in northeast Syria, attempting to interview Canadians held in the Al-Roj detention camp ahead of their repatriation to Canada.
The three Mounties have so far sought interviews with only Canadian women.
In January, Global Affairs Canada agreed to repatriate seven Canadian women and 19 children but did not disclose their timeline. Most of them have been detained in camps described as open air prisons for nearly four years. The region has been controlled by Kurdish forces after they toppled ISIS militants in March 2019.
According to sources, RCMP are warning the women that they could face terrorism-related charges upon their return to Canada. Their interviews would be videotaped and used in future court cases.
One B.C. woman who was repatriated last year is monitored through a terrorism bond, while a Montreal woman who was brought back at the same time is out on bail, after being charged with terrorism offences.
Pre-dawn phone call from Syria
Ottawa lawyer Lawrence Greenspon received a call around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday from one of the women detained at Al-Roj camp. Greenspon says his client had concerns that she and her children would be blocked from returning to Canada if she didn’t participate in an interview. Greenspon advised her not to speak to investigators.
"As my ex-mother-in-law would say—no good can come of this. That would be consistent with answering any questions from the RCMP in these circumstances."
Greenspon says according to the repatriation agreement struck with Global Affairs, both the women and children are to be brought home "regardless if they speak to the RCMP or not."
Alexandra Bain with the organization Families Against Violent Extremism (FAVE) says three other women also declined to speak with the RCMP Wednesday.
"They told the RCMP they were delighted to see Canadians and that they were very kind but would only speak to them when they returned home to Canada with their lawyers present," said Bain.
Bain has been advocating for the release of Canadian detainees for several years. She has connected the men and women with lawyers and community organizations willing to help the detainees re-integrate into society upon their release.
This week, calls by human rights advocates to repatriate all its citizens were bolstered by an open-letter from the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, signed by more than 100 legal experts including former Justice Minister and Attorney General Allan Rock.
Will foreign mothers of Canadian children be repatriated?
RCMP declined to answer a CTV News inquiry about the status of four foreign-born mothers of Canadian children who are also detained at Al-Roj camp.
The women’s husbands are Canadians who are missing or who may have died during the Syrian civil war. Global Affairs has agreed to bring back their children, but only if the mothers agree to relinquish their guardianship. CTV News has reported on two cases involving women with children who suffer from severe medical issues.
"It’s a Solomonic choice," said Bain, who is spearheading an effort to get the foreign mothers temporary resident permits so they can get on a plane with their kids to Canada. She says Global Affairs has put these women and their children in a "terribly cruel position."
"These moms have been with their kids their whole lives. Their mothers have managed to keep them alive in an apocalyptic, horrific camp."
No Charter 'right of return'
On Monday the Trudeau government’s appeal of a court ruling ordering the repatriation of four Canadian men in prisons in northeast Syria was heard at the Federal Court of Appeal.
Lawyers representing the government argued the Charter doesn’t guarantee a "right of return."
"The right to enter Canada is meaningless unless it has with it a right of return," said Greenspon who made arguments before a panel of three appellate judges.
He says that the Government of Canada has been asked by the Kurdish authority—the Automonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AAMES)—to bring nationals home.
"We say the government has a duty to act," said Greenspon.
The government suspects the men of having ties to the Islamic State, but did not present any evidence in court.
In his initial ruling in January, Federal Court Justice Henry Brown previously said "there’s no evidence identifying why any of the applicants went to Syria and Iraq and there’s no evidence before this court of what they may have done there."
Bain watched the appeal over Zoom. She says federal lawyers took up a large portion of time during the appeal to argue that traveling to the region was too dangerous.
"The government said they weren’t able to get Canadians in—yet two days later the RCMP is on the ground," Bain points out.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's efforts to assure Canadians that his government is adequately addressing the threat of foreign interference took a hit on Wednesday, when the majority of MPs in the House of Commons voted for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside,' a call Johnston quickly rejected.
A New Democrat MP is trying to convince his colleagues to change the rules that govern the House of Commons in a series of ways he says would instill 'democratic controls' on the prime minister's 'unfettered' powers.
Monday morning, the Public Service Alliance of Canada announced it had reached a 'tentative' agreement with the federal government for the 120,000 picketing Treasury Board workers who, since April 19, had been engaged in one of the largest strikes in Canadian history. Here's a rundown of the developments from Parliament Hill as they happened.
The House committee studying foreign election interference heard from top 2019 and 2021 Liberal and Conservative campaign directors on Tuesday, with party officials from both camps speaking about the need for politicians to come together to address any "legislative gaps" ahead of the next vote.
In the 2023 federal budget, the government is unveiling continued deficit spending targeted at Canadians' pocketbooks, public health care and the clean economy.
Danielle Smith's win in the Alberta election hands her the most starkly divided province confronting any premier in Canada, writes commentator Don Martin.
Special rapporteur David Johnston didn't recommend public inquiry knowing it was a pathetically insufficient response for a foreign democratic assault of this magnitude, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
To frame a few new illustrations on pages tucked inside a passport as proof of a Liberal plot to purge the Canadian historical record seems like a severe stretch, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino is a bright former federal prosecutor, who was destined to be a star in Justin Trudeau's cabinet. But in an opinion column on CTVNews.ca, Don Martin argues Mendicino has taken a stunning fall from grace, stumbling badly on important issues just 18 months into the job.
It's the most peculiar of elections with the frontrunner and her main opponent being the same person, writes columnist Don Martin. 'In the looming Alberta showdown, it's Premier Danielle Smith versus her mouth.'
Canada’s housing market saw the largest improvement in affordability in nearly four years in the first quarter of 2023, according to a report from economists at the National Bank of Canada.
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.
One of the most notable happenings at Apple's event for developers on Monday is likely the iPhone maker's tweak that will keep its autocorrect feature from annoyingly correcting one of the most common expletives to 'ducking.'
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is threatening to use procedural tools to delay passage of the federal budget in the House of Commons if the Liberals don't meet his demands.
While some natural disasters or bouts of extreme weather may require sheltering in place until authorities can restore power to the area, others require residents to evacuate quickly, sometimes in a matter of hours — and if you want to be prepared, you should create a grab-and-go bag.
Actors represented by the Hollywood union SAG-AFTRA voted Monday evening to authorize a strike if they don't agree on a new contract with major studios, streamers and production companies by June 30.
This season is on track to be the worst fire season Canada has ever seen and the risk of wildfires will remain well above average in most of the country throughout the summer, the federal government warned Monday.
Despite "anecdotal information and allegations," there is no evidence that a prescribed safe supply of opioids is being diverted and causing increased harm and death – specifically among youth, B.C.'s chief coroner said Monday.
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.
Hydro One employees killed in a December 2017 helicopter crash in eastern Ontario were remembered by their families as proud tradespeople with 'lifetimes ahead of them,' as an inquest into their deaths opened Monday.
Police in Australia are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who used to live in Surrey, BC, after her body was found in her apartment on the outskirts of Sydney.
While some natural disasters or bouts of extreme weather may require sheltering in place until authorities can restore power to the area, others require residents to evacuate quickly, sometimes in a matter of hours — and if you want to be prepared, you should create a grab-and-go bag.
Rep. George Santos' lawyer said Monday the indicted New York Republican would risk going to jail to protect the identities of the people who cosigned the US$500,000 bond enabling his pretrial release.
The lawyer for the main suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway on Monday said his client has changed his mind and plans to challenge his extradition to the United States.
A state school board in Oklahoma voted Monday to approve what would be the first publicly funded religious school in the nation, despite a warning from the state's attorney general that the decision was unconstitutional.
A wolverine was spotted three times last month in the eastern Sierra Nevada, a rare occurrence for an animal that's only been seen one other time in California over the last 100 years.
The monument to Karl Lueger, a statue of an antisemitic politician who is said to have inspired Adolf Hitler, is to be tilted 3.5 degrees to the right.
Candidates to be Guatemala's next president are taking a cue from the leader of neighboring El Salvador and promising their voters they will build mega-prisons and hammer criminal gangs into submission.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is threatening to use procedural tools to delay passage of the federal budget in the House of Commons if the Liberals don't meet his demands.
The federal prison service says it will have a second look at its decision to move convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility as political leaders of all stripes react to the news with shock and outrage.
The federal government will be providing up to $1.5 million to Pride organizations across the country for increased security measures at parades and other events this year, as advocates call for all political parties to take part.
Women often use hormone therapy to relieve hot flashes and other menopause symptoms -- and new research suggests patches or creams may be safer for their blood pressure than pills.
One of the most notable happenings at Apple's event for developers on Monday is likely the iPhone maker's tweak that will keep its autocorrect feature from annoyingly correcting one of the most common expletives to 'ducking.'
Apple on Monday unveiled a long-rumoured headset that will place its users between the virtual and real world, while also testing the technology trendsetter's ability to popularize new-fangled devices after others failed to capture the public's imagination
Actors represented by the Hollywood union SAG-AFTRA voted Monday evening to authorize a strike if they don't agree on a new contract with major studios, streamers and production companies by June 30.
The bar from the television series "Cheers" sold for $675,000 at auction over the weekend, garnering the highest bid among the nearly 1,000 props, costumes and sets from classic TV shows offered up from a collection amassed by one man over more than three decades.
Asian stock markets were mixed Tuesday after Wall Street fell on concern the U.S. economy may be weakening following a report that showed growth in service industries slowing.
Microsoft will pay a fine of $20 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it illegally collected and retained the data of children who signed up to use its Xbox video game console.
Canada’s housing market saw the largest improvement in affordability in nearly four years in the first quarter of 2023, according to a report from economists at the National Bank of Canada.
Canadians are continuing to spend more money on travel as the industry rebounds slowly from pandemic disruptions, according to a recent report — but many are opting for closer destinations, with travel to the U.S. on the rise.
Jonathan Marchessault scored twice and started an early blitz that chased the NHL's hottest postseason goalie, and Adin Hill continued his stellar play as the Vegas Golden Knights seized control of the Stanley Cup Final with a 7-2 victory over the Florida Panthers to take a 2-0 series lead Monday night.
Ontario has committed to paying a third of the cost to save a $5-billion electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, Ont., premier Doug Ford said Thursday.
The prospect of Fernando Alonso ending a decade-long wait for his 33rd Formula One win in front of tens of thousands of fans at his home race proved too good to be true on Sunday.
Max Verstappen had warned that his Red Bull team was good enough to win every single race of the Formula One season. On Sunday he took one more step toward that ambitious sweep by easing to victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.
