Jordanian woman alleges beating by "the Special Police" at Pearson

Interesting story. A woman on her way to an environmental conference in Montreal decided to make a stop in Toronto first.  Lubna Salah, a 39-year-old environmental engineer and president of her own small company, arrived in T.O two weeks before her speaking engagement. With her were six Jordanian men who Salaha claimed worked  for her.

Two days before landing, an “anonymous”  tipster told immigration authorities that she was a people-smuggler, which as I have learned, differs from human-trafficking.

According to the woman’s lawyer, Ms.Salah said she was immediately pulled aside and brought into a room for questioning. Salah  also told immigration attorney Guidy Mamann, she was fine while being questioned by a  Canada Border Services Agency employee, but when an Arabic-speaking interrogator arrived, the situation turned violent. Salah alleges that when she refused to confess, the interrogator, who told her he was with the   “Special Police” , threw her against a wall and kneed her between the legs.  Her attorney believes the man was 

an agent of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

"The photographs reveal dark purple welts on her arms that are consistent with someone grabbing her by both arms violently," Mamann said. "She also has bruising inside of her thigh and outside of the other thigh."

 

"Let me put it this way. They beat it out of her. That's what happened," he said.

So there appears to be some photographic evidence of some injuries. But Crown prosecutor Linda Teffler warns,  “Whatever the allegations are that Miss Salah is making they are simply allegations — unproven, untested and nothing more than allegations.”

Okay, that is a fair point. Here is another. Based on this past week’s revelation pointing to what amounts to a less than honest spy agency, I think Canadians should view anything the C.S.I.S has to say with a healthy dose of skepticism.  A CSIS spokesperson told CBC News that the intelligence service is aware of the allegation and co-operating fully with the investigation. 

I’m sure it’ll be fine. The RCMP co-operates fully all the time.