Mr. Speaker, New Democrats stand in solidarity with family members of those being detained under so-called security certificates.
Families are in Ottawa today pleading for their loved ones to be accorded rights supposedly guaranteed by Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms and by the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Canada is a signatory.
Earlier today I tabled a motion calling on this government to charge or release these detainees, held for up to four years with no charges laid, no presumption of innocence, no due process and no opportunity to defend themselves in a fair and transparent judicial process.
I urge all members of this House to join me in calling for an end to these draconian security certificates, which violate the Canadian Constitution and our international obligations.
Let us end this practice that has torn families apart, separating these men from their parents, their wives and their children.