April 13th, 2014: The Secret Trial 5. The world as we knew it changed on September 11th, 2001. After the dust settled and the body count started to rise, this single act of aggression rippled through the Western corridors of power as national security debates quickly shortlisted words such as Muslim, Islam, Al Queda, Bin Laden and Sleeper Cells as being culpable. And for Adil Charkaoui, Hassan Almrei, Mahmoud Jaballah, Mohammad Zeki Mahjoub and Mohamed Harkat, the opportunities, rights and freedoms Canada professes to offer ended at their front doors. “The Secret Trial 5” investigates the rise of Islamophobia and how non-citizens living in Canada with no priors, yet deemed a threat to national security, can be detained and deported without ever being charged with a crime.
As Canadians, we like to think that when it comes to civil liberties, we are just a little better than our neighbour to the south. The fact is, cold war relic of the past like Security Certificates, which allow for indefinite detention with no charges being laid and secret evidence, creates a legal imbalance within the law. All the while the Canadian government keeps saying, “Trust us”. Director, Amar Wala documents each ill-fated case as five separate vignettes with one binding thread woven throughout. Given that neither the accused nor their lawyers are able to see the evidence being used against them, how is one able to receive any semblance justice? Intimate personal struggles are captured as lawyers; the accused, families and grassroots campaigns weigh in on the efficacy of such policies. Wala walks a fine line, neither professing innocence nor promoting guilt; rather he addresses issues surrounding the protracted detention without charges. A detention with a sum total of almost 30 years among the five accused, I might add.
Verdict: 3.5 out of 5: Sleek chalkboard info-graphic cues combined with five compelling narratives of injustice within the Canadian judicial system are the reasons The Secret Trial 5 resonates long after the credits end. Wala peels back the shady goings on within the judicial systems and puts faces, names and meaningful context behind a questionable policy. Unsubstantiated fear of Muslims was the catalyst that propelled these men into uncharted legal territory not of their making. Who knew that a story like this could happen in of all places . . . Canada?!
When did secrecy become the cornerstone of the Canadian Judicial System?
Genre: Documentary
Country: Canada
Language: English
Premiere: World Premiere
Release Date: April 2014
Director: Amar Wala
Producers: Noah Bingham. Amar Wala
Runtime: 84 Minutes
Website: http://secrettrial5.com/
Cast: Adil Charkaoui, Hassan Almrei, Mahmoud Jaballah, Ahmad Jaballah, Mohamed Harkat, Sophia Harkat, Mike Larsen, Lorne Waldman, Sharry Aiken, Matthew Behrens, Audrey Macklin
