Mohamed Harkat's wife says the couple is happy with a court ruling that said a search of their home was unconstitutional -- but she still feels they were robbed of their privacy and dignity.

The search by the Canada Border Services Agency was carried out on May 12, when a dozen CBSA agents along with RCMP and local and provincial police, raided their Ottawa home.

The Federal Court of Canada ruled Tuesday that agents must return all items that were taken and destroy copies of any documents taken from the home, because the search breached Harkat's Charter rights.

Sophie Harkat said the raid was the "second worst day of my life" -- behind the day her husband was first arrested in December 2002 by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service on allegations he is an Islamic extremist.

"I'm not a rape victim but I think I felt pretty close to what it is to be raped of your privacy and dignity," Sophie told CTV's Canada AM on Wednesday.

"I felt humiliated and degraded. We had to get permission to go to the washroom, I had to get permission to get dressed because I was in the shower when they came to the house. It was a very difficult experience for us...this was the second worst day of my life."

She said agents took her personal agendas dating back over the past five years, along with her husband's family photos, CDs belonging to her mother who is a music teacher, an address book, personal computer, a VHS tape of her father, some legal documents and more.

She has said the search took six hours to complete, and officers said Harkat's bail terms gave them the right to carry out searches of the house at will.

"We're happy with the ruling obviously but at the same time my husband and I feel that we shouldn't have had to go through that difficult experience," she said.

In its 24-page decision, the Federal Court of Canada said the agency must return everything that was taken -- enough to fill dozens of boxes.

"The breach of Mr. Harkat's Charter rights was significant," wrote Justice Simon Noel.

"While the CBSA may not have acted in bad faith, they acted with disregard for the terms of the former order and the requirements of Section 8 of the Charter.

"This court cannot condone the type of intrusive search undertaken by the CBSA. Mr. Harkat may have a diminished expectation of privacy, but that does not give the state a 'carte blanche' to unreasonably intrude on what privacy is left to him."

Harkat, an Algerian refugee who has worked as a pizza deliveryman and gas station attendant, was arrested in December 2002. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service alleges that he is an Islamic extremist and a part of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, charges that Harkat denies.

Although he has never been charged with any offence, he faces a deportation order under a national security certificate.

Harkat's lawyer, Matt Webber, said at the time that authorities have the right to enter the home, but only to ensure Harkat is complying with court-imposed bail conditions.

In his ruling Tuesday, Justice Noel said some evidence taken during the raid suggested the couple was not complying with all of those conditions.

In his ruling, Noel said CBSA officials should get permission from the Federal Court "to execute an authorized and minimally intrusive search" if it is concerned about bail condition compliance.