ARTICLE · 28 NOVEMBER 2024

Finding The Truth Beneath The Secrets: A 12-Year Retrospective On The Maher Arar Affair —

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On September 26, 2002, a Canadian, Maher Arar, was returning home to Canada from a trip abroad when he was apprehended by American authorities during a layover in the United States.

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Flora Yu

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On September 26, 2002, a Canadian, Maher Arar, was returning home to Canada from a trip abroad when he was apprehended by American authorities during a layover in the United States. The American officials deported him to Syria and handed him over to the Syrian authorities on suspicions that Arar was Al Qaeda-affiliated. True to its notorious human rights record, the Syrian government subjected Arar to harsh interrogation and torture for almost a year. On October 5, 2003, Arar was finally released and allowed to return home to Canada. He was never charged with any crimes by the United States or Syria.

The Canadian Government's Role in the Arar Affair

In 2004, the Canadian government established the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar. The Inquiry revealed that Arar's arrest, deportation, and torture would not have occurred if not for the improper actions of the RCMP and CSIS.

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