The Toronto Star reports, “A well-travelled British human rights activist and former Guantanamo Bay detainee (Moazzam Begg) said he was barred from boarding a direct flight from London to Toronto Friday because of concerns the aircraft could be diverted to the U.S.”
“Begg was to speak (in Toronto) at a conference on Islamophobia organized by (Dennis Edney), the Canadian lawyer for Omar Khadr, the Guantanamo prisoner convicted last fall of war crimes.”
“Edney, said a Canadian foreign affairs official informed him that Begg was denied entry due to a ‘U.S. policy’.”
“Begg said airline agents told him Canada’s High Commission in London informed them the issue was one of security. ‘They said to me the reason why they would not board me and take me to Canada is because, in the unlikely event they were rerouted to America, there could be a security concern,’ Begg told the Star by telephone.”
“Begg has never been charged in the U.S. or U.K. and, since his release from Guantanamo in January 2005 has traveled extensively through Europe, Asia and Africa.”
“Air Canada, London’s High Commission and the Department of Foreign Affairs did not immediately have comment Friday.”
It has been argued that the Harper government’s perimeter security talks with the U.S. could result in a de facto U.S. border extended around Canada.
The article is at http://www.thestar.com/mobile/world/article/994892.
