Information
Commissioner Investigating ATIP Request on Afghan Detainees
OTTAWA
– Canada’s Information Commissioner must examine the role
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay and his staff played in removing key
segments of a report on the torture of Afghan detainees that was released
under Access to Information, Liberal members of the Standing Committee on
Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics said today.
At
the Committee this morning, Information Commissioner Robert Marleau
confirmed that he will be investigating the document given to the Globe
and Mail, which concealed references to mistreatment of detainees in
Afghanistan.
“We’ve
asked that Mr. Marleau determine why government officials would first deny
the existence of such a report and then, later, release a whitewashed
version of it,” said Jim Peterson.
“And
who told them to do so?” added Sukh Dhaliwal. “We know that the
Foreign Affairs Minister’s office would have received a communications
assessment on any ATIP request of this nature. And yet we have a minister
who claims he never saw this report.”
Mr.
Dhaliwal and Mr. Peterson said they find it hard to believe that the
Minister never read a report so critical to the most important foreign
policy issue his government has faced. They also asked Mr. Marleau to
compel the government to immediately table in the House of Commons the
full ATIP file in question.
“Releasing
information about the torture of detainees is not a matter of national
security,” argued Mr. Dhaliwal. “There are no legitimate reasons for
this type of information to be concealed in this ATIP request. On the
contrary, Canadians have every right to know that we are meeting our
international obligations, which prohibit us from transferring detainees
into situations of torture and inhumane treatment.”
Mr.
Peterson added “This has all the markings of a cover-up. Mr. Marleau
needs to determine why this was done and who authorized it. Canadians
deserve to know the truth.”
Glen
Pearson urged the Commissioner to report in a timely manner on his
findings. He said the
investigation shows that the Committee is getting results.
"This
committee is getting the job done. We
believe that with the co-operation of the Information Commissioner, the
Committee’s work can have a fundamental impact on human rights."
