[Politics] Canadian accused of being Hezbollah Spy

[scandium]

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/nation...cused-son.html

A former University of Toronto professor with Canadian citizenship who has been jailed for weeks in Israel, accused of spying for Hezbollah, went there to visit a sick relative and is innocent, his son says.

The Israelis have lost their mind. Though perhaps unlike the thousands they routinely detain without charge or trial, at least there may be some hope that with his Canadian citizenship enough pressure can be put on them to either charge him or release him - though I won't hold my breath on this.

Ghazi Falah, who has both Canadian and Israeli citizenship, is a geography professor at the University of Akron in Ohio and formerly taught at the University of Toronto. He was arrested after taking pictures in northern Israel near the Lebanese border, about five days before violence erupted July 12 between the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants and the Israeli military.

Falah said Israeli officials accused his father of taking photos of Israeli military installations for Hezbollah, adding that there was "supposedly a military antenna" in one of the shots. He has not been charged.

..

Falah said his father made a last-minute decision to go to Israel in order to visit Naail Falah's grandmother, who was scheduled for an operation to remove a brain tumour.

His father had gone to a tourist area to take a break from the serious visit and that's where he took the photographs, on a borrowed digital camera, Falah said.

"That raised suspicions," he said.

Falah said it is possible that the pictures were meant to be used in academic studies. His father was doing research for a paper he is writing about the changing Israel-Lebanon border. Falah said his father has taken pictures of the same area from the Lebanese side.

"If a person was going to do their own surveillance or intelligence work, they wouldn't bring someone else's camera and they wouldn't go there at the last minute to visit a grandmother before she goes in for a brain tumour operation."

He said his father is a renowned geographer of the Middle East, who often takes pictures of landmarks for his work. Falah has said that his father considers himself pro-Palestinian and has written articles critical of Israeli policies in the past.

[TteFAboB]

Two words: "Achille Lollo".

Wouldn't it be perfect for a Hizbollah spy to have Israeli citizenship AND Canadian just so he can run away if brown matter hits the fan?

Be back when the case is over. Right now you're all discussing the Law because that's what you have to discuss. You don't have the background of this subject, you don't have further Israeli police statements, you haven't even seen the pictures of his camera.

[Skybird]

At least you explain why he rose suspicion. Which are reasons, from perspective of Israels tensed situation, that are understandable. Let's wait and see what the Israelis come up with. If they have nothing, he will be released, and they will apologize for a mistake they made. If they have something, he has bad cards.

[scandium]

I suppose what troubles me most is that he has been jailed for weeks now without being charged with anything. Here in Canada anyone if you are arrested then there is a burden upon the police and judicial system to bring you before a Magistrate for arraignment within 24 hours. I realise Israel is not Canada, but still this has to be what - 3 weeks now without even being charged with anything. I know we have forum members here who are living or haved lived in Israel and maybe they might answer a question: is this normal over there?

[Skybird]

Don't know, but it seems to coincident with the length of the war. If Canada would wage war, your police would be a bit over-alarmed or even paranoid, too, I suppose. It could also mean that htey have something substantial against him. Israel is under constant terror threats. Their police is less forgiving and less restricted about certain things than european polices (which have implemented special terror treatments with sometimes drastically lengthened arrest times, too).

[NeonSamurai]

Also in Canada and many other countries there are certain laws available, especialy during a time of war where people can be held indefinatly and with out being charged with any crime.

[scandium]

Originally Posted by NeonSamurai

Also in Canada and many other countries there are certain laws available, especialy during a time of war where people can be held indefinatly and with out being charged with any crime.

What laws? Cite them. We recently paid out a multi-million dollar settlement to the Japanese Canadians for doing just that when we interred them for years without chargeor trial during WWII; this was an admission that even though we were at war with Japan we had no right to detain these people indefinitely without trial. In fact, the Canadian Criminal code (if you've ever seen it) lays out very clear and unambiguous rules that have to be followed regarding arrest and detention; then there is the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well which states very clearly that:

I.9 Everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.

I.10 Everyone has the right on arrest or detention

a) to be informed promptly of the reasons therefor;
b) to retain and instruct counsel without delay and to be informed of that right; and
c) to have the validity of the detention determined by way of habeas corpus and to be released if the detention is not lawful.