Liban Hussein

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Liban M. Hussein (born in Somalia), is a Canadian citizen who was arrested on November 7, 2001 at the request of the United States who accused him of supporting terrorism. Although his assets were frozen, Hussein was released on bail after a court found that neither the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) nor the U.S. were able to provide any evidence of terrorist links.[1][2]

Life before arrest

Hussein ran two businesses in Ottawa. The first was a cleaning company he started in the hopes of being able to offer his family employment, improving their chances of successful immigration to Canada.[3] The second was a hawala money transfer business named Barakaat North America Inc. which his brother managed in Massachusetts. When it was announced that al-Qaeda was believed to have ties to the Somali money service which Hussein contracted, his brother was arrested in Boston and the cleaning franchise revoked Hussein's license.[3]

Hussein went to the Ottawa police department, where he was arrested at the request of the United States.[4] He was later represented by lawyer Michael Edelson.[5]

After being released

On June 3, 2002, the Canadian government announced that they had been shown "no evidence" suggesting Hussein was linked to terrorism, and that charges were to be dropped.[6] His name was removed from the Canadian list of individuals supporting terrorism, and later off the American and United Nations lists as well.[7]

The Civil Liberties Association of Ottawa was quoted in newspapers that "the government destroyed this man's life without a single shred of evidence".[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 CanWest, "Canada: Government pay out of court settlement to falsely accused "terrorist" suspect", October 2, 2003
  2. ↑ Fox, Arrests made throughout US, November 7, 2001
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Loome, Jeremy. Ottawa Sun, "Security legislation: a double-edged sword", September 12, 2005
  4. ↑ CBC, "Ottawa man wanted in U.S. arrested by RCMP", November 12, 2001
  5. ↑ Pither, Kerry. "Dark Days: The Story of Four Canadians Tortured in the Name of Fighting Terror", 2008.
  6. ↑ Department of Justice, "Canada Halts Extradition Process, Liban Hussein De-Listed, June 3, 2002
  7. ↑ Canada Gazette Part II, Vol. 136, No. 8, Extra, June 4, 2002


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