OTTAWA – NDP Human Rights Critic Wayne Marston held a press conference today to announce the tabling of his “Prevention of Torture Act.” The bill is designed to end all possible government complicity in torture. The bill, among other things, makes it a criminal offence to use information known to be derived from torture; and prohibits Canadian officials from handing over prisoners to be tortured at home or abroad; and establishes diplomatic protocols for the immediate repatriation of any Canadian citizen at risk of torture abroad.

“If this bill were the law of the land, then Maher Arar, Abdullah Almalki and the others would never have been subjected to their horrific ordeals—and neither would there be a need for the current investigation into the alleged abuse and torture of Afghan detainees,” said Marston.

Marston was joined by Kerry Pither, human rights advocate and author of, Dark Days: The Story of Four Canadians Tortured in the Name of Fighting Terror, along with Paul Champ, lawyer for Abousfian Abdelrazik, and prominent human rights lawyer.