OTTAWA - A Montreal man with alleged terrorist links has lost a round in his long-running legal fight to remain in Canada.
The Supreme Court won't hear Adil Charkaoui's constitutional challenge to the system for deciding whether people can be deported to countries where they might be in danger.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service contends that Charkaoui, a school teacher and part-time graduate student, is an al-Qaida sympathizer who should be sent back to his native Morocco.
A pre-removal risk assessment found there was a danger of torture and a risk of cruel and unusual treatment if Charkaoui were returned.
But his application for protection was ultimately rejected by a delegate of the immigration minister.
A fresh twist emerged when Morocco issued an international arrest warrant against Charkaoui and the Canadian government said a new risk assessment would be conducted.
Charkaoui asked that proceedings be permanently halted and that federal provisions governing applications for protection be declared unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court, following its custom, gave no reasons for refusing to hear his challenge.
Charkaoui, a landed immigrant from a town near Casablanca, was arrested in Montreal in May 2003, accused of being an al-Qaida sleeper agent prepared to wage terror attacks against western targets.
He denies any involvement in terrorism.
Earlier this year, Ottawa filed updated security certificates - tools used to deport suspected security risks - against Charkaoui and four others accused of terrorist links.
