LTTE supporter loses legal battle in Canada
A former Waterloo man lost a six-year legal battle to avoid
prosecution in the US for alleged support of terrorists.
The Supreme Court of Canada rejected an appeal by Suresh
Sriskandarajah of an extradition order to stand trial in New York in one
of two key rulings upholding anti-terror laws.
Sriskandarajah and two other men - Piratheepan Nadarajah of Brampton
and Momin Khawaja of Ottawa, challenged the constitutional validity of
terrorism laws passed in the wake of 9/11 attacks in the US.
But in unanimous rulings written by Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin,
seven judges soundly rejected arguments the laws are too broad and
improperly infringe on freedom of expression rights.“The scope of the
provision excludes conduct that a reasonable person would not view as
capable of materially enhancing the abilities of a terrorist group to
facilitate or carry out a terrorist activity,” McLachlin wrote.
Judges also dismissed arguments by Sriskandarajah and Nadarajah that
they have a right to be tried in Canada rather than the US. Justice
Minister Rob Nicholson welcomed the rulings and pledged to remain tough
on terrorists.
“Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorism,” he said in a
statement. “Our government will continue to work with its domestic and
international partners to actively combat this threat at home and
abroad.”
The decisions mean Sriskandarajah, 32, will be turned over to
authorities in New York to face charges of supporting the Tamil Tigers
in Sri Lanka.
He is accused of researching and buying communication equipment and
submarine and warship design software for the rebel group in the country
he left as a boy.
Portrayed as the leader of four suspects with ties to the University
of Waterloo, Sriskandarajah also allegedly laundered money and used
students to smuggle goods into Sri Lanka under the code name Waterloo
Suresh between 2004 and 2006.
Arrested in 2006 following a joint FBI-RCMP investigation, he faces
up to 25 years in prison if convicted in the US.
-Courtesy: The Record
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