Hassan Almrei

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Syrian, Hassan Almrei (Arabic: حسن المري) arrived in Canada in 1999 claiming refugee-status. He used a false United Arab Emirates passport which hid his time spent in Afghanistan, and a Canadian visa which he bought on the black market for $5,000.

He was arrested on a security certificate in October 2001, following a Royal Canadian Mounted Police search of his Toronto house in the wake of 9/11. The search allegedly yielded a computer containing 137 pages of photographs that included images of Osama bin Laden, firearms, a security badge and a jet cockpit.

While at the Toronto West Detention Centre, he staged two hunger strikes - a 39-day fast that succeeded in ensuring winter clothing and shoes in his cell during the winter, and a 73-day fast calling for an hour of exercise per day.

In April 2006, he was moved to a new detention facility at Millhaven Institution, specifically meant to house those held under security certificates.

On October 5, 2007, media reports indicate a Federal Court of Canada judge denied bail for Almrei.

Canadian Liberal Member of Parliament Andrew Telegdi, New Democratic Party Members of Parliament Alexa McDonough and Bill Siksay, and Alexandre Trudeau, a son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, had all offered to post bail, and a Toronto woman had agreed to let him live in her basement. According to media reports, though, , Justice Francois Lemieux said in his October 5 decision that Almrei's plan to live under supervised house arrest was "wholly inadequate."

The October 5 decision was the third time Mr. Almrei had applied for release. Of six terror suspects being deported by Canada under security certificates, he is the only one still in custody.

[edit] See also