OTTAWA, Canada – A Canadian Federal Court has ordered the Ottawa government to repatriate Canadian citizen Abousfian Abdelrazik, after six years of imprisonment in Sudan. Abdelrazik was arrested on a visit to see his sick mother in Sudan in 2003. The arrest was allegedly prompted by Canadian officials who suggested to Sudanese Officials that he was a terrorist. Abdelrazik says that he was beaten and tortured while being held.

Canada refused to issue Abdelrazik an emergency passport so he can leave Sudan, and he has been living in the lobby of the Canadian embassy for a year. Abdelrazik says that he has been interrogated by Canadian Spy Agency and FBI officials regarding connections to terrorism.

Abdelrazik denies having any connection to terrorism and Canadian intelligence officials have now confirmed that there is no information linking him to terrorism. Despite this confirmation, the conservative government has denied Abdelrazik entry into Canada because he is listed on the UN Blacklist of suspected terrorists. The Canadian government has called the situation “complex” and insists that Abdelrazik needs to get himself off of the UN Blacklist.

Solidarity activists banded together and purchased a ticket for Abdelrazik after the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs unanimously voted that he could testify on his own behalf.

The Canadian Federal Court held that the government has not properly justified its refusal to allow Abdelrazik back into Canada and that his constitutional rights are being violated. The Court stated that the government should issue Abdelrazik a passport and arrange to fly him home to Canada within thirty days.