Mobina Jaffer, a former senator, recounted her experiences during a lawsuit trial concerning Abousfian Abdelrazik, who alleges he was tortured while detained in Sudan. She described a conversation from 2004 with Sudan's intelligence chief, Salah Gosh, who conveyed that the agency had subjected Abdelrazik to “the treatment” for questioning regarding his potential ties to terrorism. Recognizing the implications of this phrase, Jaffer firmly stated, “He definitely was tortured,” and expressed her immediate understanding that Abdelrazik had endured severe mistreatment.
During her testimony, Jaffer noted Gosh's frustration over Sudan's decision to hold Abdelrazik at the request of Canadian officials without any charges being brought against him. Gosh questioned why Canada was not taking further action to repatriate Abdelrazik, reflecting on the lack of proper follow-up from Canadian authorities.
Born in Sudan, Abdelrazik became a Canadian citizen in 1995 and has since filed a $27-million lawsuit against the Canadian government and former foreign affairs minister Lawrence Cannon. He claims that his six-year ordeal in Sudan, which lasted from 2003 to 2009, included extensive torture and abandonment by Canadian officials.
Throughout the trial, Jaffer expressed her remorse for not being more proactive in assisting Abdelrazik, who observed the proceedings from the courtroom gallery. She emphasized, “What’s the point of being a senator in Canada if you can’t help your own Canadians?” Although she served as an envoy, she refrained from taking actions outside her designated role.
Jaffer recounted her dealings with the Sudanese intelligence service when she was assigned as a peace envoy to the region. She had made frequent trips to Sudan for consultations, and during one of these visits, Gosh mentioned Abdelrazik's case to her. He described how her country had perceived Abdelrazik as a potential terrorist and shared that finding out the truth about such suspicions in Sudan involved harsh measures.
Jaffer recalled Gosh stating that they had determined Abdelrazik posed no terrorist threat and that there were no charges pending against him, thereby making a case for his return to Canada. Despite Gosh's suggestion that Sudan's commercial airline could transport Abdelrazik to Ottawa, this plan did not materialize. She further elaborated on her subsequent visit to Sudan in March 2005, where Abdelrazik expressed his frustration and recounted the abusive treatment he had endured, including physical assaults by the intelligence personnel.
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