Legislation bans use of evidence tied to torture (Canada)

[The Straight Story]

Legislation bans use of evidence tied to torture

COLIN FREEZE

From Friday's Globe and Mail

February 22, 2008 at 4:01 AM EST

OTTAWA — The Canadian government will reintroduce a controversial anti-terrorism measure as early as today in a bid to comply with a Supreme Court ruling that has forced Parliament to give more rights to immigrants accused of links to terrorist groups.

In addition to assigning so-called "special advocate" lawyers to act for defendants in closed hearings, the new law bans making detainees answer allegations flowing from torture in foreign jails.

Further, government officials have privately signalled they will no longer use evidence from alleged al-Qaeda trainer Abu Zubaydah. The Guantanamo Bay detainee's statements had figured in two of Canada's six ongoing "security-certificate" proceedings.

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency this month admitted to "waterboarding" Abu Zubaydah to get information about possible terrorist cells. The interrogation method is designed to make a suspect talk by inducing fears he is drowning.

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