Prime Minister of Canada has officially apologized to Maher Arar, a Syrian born Canadian citizen, who spent a year in a Syrian prison on false terrorist charges. The man became a victim of the U.S. rendition practice.
Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, said Maher Arar would receive almost nine million US dollars in compensation. “The government has sent letters to both the Syrian and American governments formally objecting to the treatment of Mr. Arar. Canada has removed Mr. Arar from Canadian lookout lists and we have specifically requested that the United States amend its own records accordingly.”Maher Arar was arrested at a New York airport and deported to Syria by the U.S. where he was allegedly tortured.The Canadian engineer says he was kept in a dark cell for a year, before a court in Canada ruled he was innocent.The U.S. refuses to remove his name from terrorist no-fly lists despite Canadian requests.It is claimed Arar is a victim of the U.S. government's practice of rendition, where suspects are sent to third countries for interrogation.