MONTREAL - A Montreal man's supporters are heading to the United Nations with hopes of accomplishing the rare feat of striking his name from the UN's terror watchlist.
Abousfian Abdelrazik was kept in forced exile in Sudan for six years, some of which was spent in prison where he alleges he was tortured.
Since returning home he has failed to get his name taken off the list, leaving him stuck in legal and financial limbo. This is despite the fact he's been formally cleared of terrorist allegations by CSIS and the RCMP.
A caravan carrying his supporters left Montreal on Wednesday for New York on a mission to have his name de-listed. Numerous civil-rights activists and law experts are helping Abdelrazik fight his case.
Eight of his closest advisers will meet Thursday morning with Peter Wittig, the chair of the UN Security Council's 1267 committee, a branch that oversees the watchlist. Wittig is Germany's permanent representative to the UN.
"As my name is on the 1267 list, it is very scary and a very difficult situation," Abdelrazik said Wednesday at a news conference.
"It's very dark. It has completely complicated my life."
Abdelrazik, who cannot leave Canada because Ottawa has refused to provide him with travel documents, was expected to follow the caravan Wednesday to a spot a few kilometres short of the U.S. border, where the group had scheduled a picnic with him before continuing on to New York.
Abdelrazik was cleared to return to Canada after six years in Sudan, but continues to face sanctions here: he is not permitted to earn a paycheque or accept material support from anyone.
The Quebec government recently told him he cannot receive regular child-assistance benefits because his name appears on the UN list. Being on the blacklist also means Abdelrazik's financial assets remain frozen.
He was exonerated of any ties to al Qaeda by Sudanese authorities and both the RCMP and CSIS have acknowledged they don't have any evidence against him.
"I am an innocent person, I did nothing wrong, I am not a member of al Qaeda and I'm not a member of Taliban," said the single father, whose name was added to the 1267 list in 2006.
"I am against their ways."
Abdelrazik, who said he supports himself and his children on a widower's pension from the Quebec government, has launched a $27-million lawsuit against former foreign affairs minister Lawrence Cannon.
One caravan member said Ottawa has the power to take immediate steps to help Abdelrazik -- by lifting sanctions against him in Canada and by putting diplomatic pressure on the UN Security Council to review his case quickly.
"We're going to New York so Abousfian can regain the freedom that was taken from him when his name was added to the 1267 list," said Emilie Breton of Project Fly Home, a group supporting Abdelrazik.
Breton said others have successfully removed their names from the blacklist, but so far the 1267-list committee has shown no sign of reconsidering its position on Abdelrazik.
It says Abdelrazik trained as a terrorist in Afghanistan during the 1990s, was an acquaintance of Osama bin Laden and was a member of a terrorist cell in Montreal that also included Ahmed Ressam, the so-called Millennium Bomber.
The committee also says he twice tried to join Islamist militants in Chechnya.
When asked Wednesday why the government has not removed Abdelrazik's sanctions or contacted the UN on his behalf, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird offered a short reply via email.
"The decision to list or de-list is made by the United Nations Security Council," Chris Day said.
"As this case is before the courts, any further comment would be inappropriate."
Breton said the group's meeting with Wittig comes as the 1267 committee considers whether to de-list several members of the Taliban.
The committee is mulling whether to create separate terrorism blacklists for al Qaeda and the Taliban, a move some believe would encourage Afghan peace talks.
The U.S. and Afghan governments have said they are willing to reconcile with the members of the Taliban -- if those individuals renounce violence, embrace the Afghan constitution and cut ties with al Qaeda.
Breton said it's time for Abdelrazik to be heard.
"We are asking directly: Why not talk about Abousfian's case?" said Breton, whose delegation has scheduled a news conference Thursday after the meeting with Wittig.
"Five years is very long."
