OTTAWA — A federal lawyer denies government responsibility for Abousfian Abdelrazik's detention in Sudan, saying his lawsuit against Canada is an elaborate theory crafted from snippets of evidence.
In closing arguments today in Federal Court, lawyer Andrew Gibbs says speculation and innuendo are not enough to establish federal liability for Abdelrazik's imprisonment abroad.
The Sudanese-born Abdelrazik settled in Montreal as a refugee and became a Canadian citizen in the 1990s.
During a 2003 visit to his native country to see his ailing mother, he was arrested, jailed and questioned about suspected extremist connections.
Abdelrazik, who denies involvement in terrorism, says he was tortured by Sudanese authorities during two periods in custody.
He is suing the Canadian government, claiming officials had a hand in his arbitrary imprisonment, encouraged his detention and actively obstructed his repatriation to Canada for several years.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2025.
Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
