After more than six years of detainment in Guantanamo Bay, 41-year-old Djamel Ameziane is “in urgent need of protection” according to a coalition of human rights organizations. The stigma of the former Montreal resident's suspected links to terrorism put him at risk of imprisonment and torture if he returns to his native Algeria, they allege.
The Anglican Diocese of Montreal has submitted an application for Canadian resettlement; should it meet with success, Action Réfugiés Montréal, a joint ministry of Anglican and Presbyterian churches, will help Ameziane reestablish himself in Quebec. Glynis Williams, director of Action Réfugiés Montréal and refugee director at PWS&D signed the sponsorship on behalf of the bishop. Ameziane is currently among approximately 50 detainees who have not faced formal charges or trials in the U.S.
“The refugee sponsorship… is part of the church's mission of justice and compassion in the world,” said Rev. Barry Clark, Anglican Bishop of Montreal in a press release. “Having read what Djamel has suffered and the risk he would face if returned to Algeria, I am convinced that sponsoring him is the right thing to do.”
His application has been filed through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program and is backed by Amnesty International, the Canadian Council for Refugees and the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights.
Ameziane sought refugee status when he resided in Canada during the 90s, but in 2000 his claim was rejected. He was arrested in 2002 when he tried to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan, and he was subsequently sent to the United States by Pakistani forces. The Pentagon has accused him of having connections to al Qaeda, which Ameziane denies.
In August, Ameziane filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights addressing torture and human rights violations perpetrated against him during his detention. At the time this article went to print, the IACHR was scheduled to hear the precautionary measures of his case on October 28.
– with files from the Centre for Constitutional Rights (ccrjustice.org)
