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International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group

Coalition pour la surveillance internationale des libertés civiles

June 21, 2025 - 21 juin 2025

Over 300 Organizations Unite to Demand Complete Withdrawal of Bill C-2

Diverse coalitions warn “Strong Borders Act” threatens human rights, refugee and migrant rights, and privacy of all residents of Canada

ICLMG 18/06/2025 - In an unprecedented show of unity, over 300 civil society organizations from across the country are on Parliament Hill today demanding the complete withdrawal of Bill C-2, the so-called “Strong Borders Act” as it enters into second reading. Four major coalitions representing a broad cross section of refugee rights, civil liberties, gender justice, and migrant advocacy have joined forces to oppose this assault on human rights and civil liberties. 

The four coalitions held a joint press conference today to present their unified opposition to this sweeping legislation, which represents a further, dangerous shift toward Trump-style anti-immigrant policies and attacks on the rights and freedoms of all residents. 

“Bill C-2 is the expansion of a deportation machine that will put hundreds of thousands of people at risk. With 1.2 million people already unable to renew their permits this year due to recent immigration cuts, this bill’s sweeping new powers to cancel immigration status without individual evaluation will force more people into conditions of abuse, exploitation and even death,” says Karen Cocq, spokesperson for the Migrant Rights Network. “Prime Minister Carney was elected on a promise of standing up to Trump but his very first bill is the same scapegoating of migrants and refugees that we’ve witnessed south of the border.”

Bill C-2 allows for unprecedented expansion of surveillance powers. Tim McSorley, National Coordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, warned: “Bill C-2 would undermine more than a decade of Canadian privacy-related jurisprudence to enable a massive expansion of domestic surveillance. Without a warrant, police and spy agencies could demand information about our online activities based on the low threshold of ‘reasonable suspicion.’ This shockingly broad system is ripe for abuse and appears deliberately designed to prepare Canada for controversial data-sharing obligations with the United States and other countries.”

Matt Hatfield, Executive Director of OpenMedia, said: “Bill C-2 is anti-privacy, anti-rights, and anti-Canadian. It solves border problems that don’t exist; and breaks rights that do. Canadian voters want our government to keep its elbows up to defend our privacy and freedoms, and that requires a full withdrawal of Bill C-2 now.”

“Bill C-2 reflects a wholesale shift in how Canada responds to refugees seeking our protection, including enabling their deportation back to danger without even a hearing,” said Gauri Sreenivasan, Co-Executive Director of the Canadian Council for Refugees. “It is a shocking abandonment of rights protected under our Charter and International law, providing none of the fairness and due process that Canadians fully expect from our government in immigration matters. In many respects it sinks lower than US policy. The Bill must be withdrawn “.

Organizations working with survivors of gender-based violence have raised particular alarm about the bill’s impact on vulnerable populations. Deepa Mattoo, Executive Director and Lawyer of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic agrees, adding “Bill C-2 is a policy misstep—it is an attack on the rights and safety of survivors of gender-based violence. It ignores the lived realities of those fleeing abuse and trauma, and risks turning Canada’s borders into instruments of harm. We must uphold our commitments to human rights and ensure that no one is denied protection because of how or when they arrive.”

Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah, Co-Director of Policy and Advocacy at Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights, stated: “Survivors fleeing gender-based violence abroad are learning about legal processes while living with profound trauma, often under the control of abusive partners who restrict their access to information and support. Imposing strict time limits on these most marginalized refugees ignores Canada’s commitments to gender equity and safety. Denying survivors access to protection based on how or when they arrived in Canada is not only unjust—it is dangerous.”

Four statements denouncing Bill C-2 from a broad cross-section of civil society

The four coalition statements demonstrate the breadth of opposition to Bill C-2:

“Withdraw Bill C-2“ – Initiated by the Migrant Rights Network, Canadian Council for Refugees and International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, with endorsements from 176 organizations including the Canadian Labour Congress; Canada’s national housing rights organization – National Right to Housing Network; Canada’s largest Climate coalition – Climate Action Network Canada; as well as The United Church of Canada, Oxfam Canada, Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers and others.  

“Joint Call for the Withdrawal of Bill C-2“ – Led by OpenMedia and signed by 39 prominent organizations including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and Canadian Anti-Hate Network, plus 122 individual legal experts and academics. This statement focuses on the bill’s degradation of privacy rights and its preparation for controversial data-sharing with foreign governments.

“Open Letter: Canada puts refugee claimants at risk with Bill C-2“ – Initiated by OCASI (Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants) and endorsed by 71 refugee and settlement organizations, as well as the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and YWCA branches nationwide. The letter details how the bill violates international refugee law and puts vulnerable claimants at grave risk.

“Statement: Bill C-2 Risks Undermining Canada’s Commitments to Gender-Based Violence Survivors“ – Supported by 48 organizations including the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, Canadian Women’s Foundation, Women’s Shelters Canada, and YWCA Canada. This statement highlights the disproportionate and dangerous impact Bill C-2 would have on survivors of gender-based violence who face additional barriers while dealing with trauma.

What Bill C-2 Would Do

Impact on EVERYONE in Canada:

• Mass Surveillance Without Warrants: Police and CSIS can demand to know whether you have an online account with any organization or service in Canada, along with information like how long you’ve had it for or where you’ve logged in from, with no warrant required.
• A lower bar for more data: Law enforcement with a warrant can demand production of your online data, unencrypted emails, and browsing history from any company based only on “reasonable suspicion”— not the current standard of reasonable belief.
• Forced Corporate Spying: Companies must keep records of your personal data under secret government orders, with blanket immunity for privacy violations for handing over more than they should.
• Foreign Access to Your Data: Bill C-2 makes necessary changes to prepare Canada to endorse the US CLOUD Act and additional protocols of the Budapest Cybercrime Convention. These treaties would allow US authorities and other foreign governments to make similar data requests to Canadian entities, undermining Canada’s constitutional protections and data sovereignty.
• Inadequate Legal Recourse: Only five days are allowed to challenge secret surveillance orders, with blanket civil immunity for companies that comply, ensuring even excessive orders go unchallenged.

Refugee and Immigration Measures:

• One-Year Refugee Deadline: Bill C-2 blocks anyone from seeking refugee status in Canada after one year from when they entered the country—even if their home country becomes dangerous after their entry. This applies retroactively to everyone since June 2020, and is fundamentally inconsistent with international humanitarian law.
• Eliminates US Border Exception: Previously, those crossing from the US between official ports could apply for refugee status after 14 days. Bill C-2 removes this completely, trapping vulnerable people under Trump’s xenophobic policies.
• Mass Deportation Powers: The Immigration Minister gains authority to cancel permits for entire groups without due process—including revoking permanent residency applications and cards already submitted. Migrants could lose status overnight with no legal recourse.
• Privacy Protections Removed: The bill allows unrestricted information sharing about migrants across all government levels. Undocumented workers asserting labour rights could face deportation when employers report them to border enforcement. Source + Some media coverage

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Version française : Plus de 300 organisations s’unissent pour exiger le retrait complet du projet de loi C-2

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Passport and visa details could be shared with police, U.S. under border bill, critics warn

The Globe and Mail 18/06/2025 - “Bill C-2 is not a border bill, it is a power grab and an attack on fundamental human rights and civil liberties for every living person in this country,” Karen Cocq of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change said at a press conference.

The bill would allow “the contents of any document” issued to an individual by the Immigration Department – including information relating to it being issued or renewed – to be shared with a federal or provincial government department or agency.

CSIS is governed by the Security of Canada Information Disclosure Act, or SCIDA, which imposes obligations and controls on federal institutions releasing information related to national security.

Tim McSorley, national co-ordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, said the bill “seems to circumvent protections” in SCIDA, thus allowing IRCC to “share information based on any act of Parliament, and not just on the basis of threats to the security of Canada.”

“SCIDA includes an exception to protect dissent and protest and artistic creation,” he added. “There’s nothing like that in this piece of legislation, and we’re deeply concerned that it would allow CSIS to request huge amounts of information on people coming to Canada, Canadians who are applying for passports. This could include visas, it can include citizenship. It could include requests for refugee protection.”

“It’s incredibly concerning that these broad information-sharing powers are being integrated into this bill without prior consultation,” he said.

Tamir Israel, director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s privacy, surveillance and technology program, said the bill would give very broad authorization to share information, including with Canada Border Services Agency, CSIS and police forces.

He warned that certain foreign powers are targeting diaspora communities in Canada as a means of cross-border oppression. Disclosing to a foreign country that a political dissident has sought asylum in Canada could place them in jeopardy.

“Immigration authorities will be authorized to broadly share highly sensitive information, potentially putting asylum seekers and others at risk,” Mr. Israel said. “We are particularly concerned to see yet another expansion of government information-sharing while safeguards such as the aging federal Privacy Act remain untouched.” Read more - Lire plus

Globe and Mail: Another sneak attack on your privacy rights

Border bill powers would allow warrantless police requests to doctors, abortion clinics, hotels

Border bill raises questions about expanded data sharing with U.S. : Citizen Lab

Strong Borders Act could clash with Charter rights, Justice Department says

Ottawa veut aider la police à repérer votre téléphone

CSN : Le premier ministre Carney joue un jeu dangereux, s’inquiète la CSN

CSIS request for protester’s personal details raises red flags, watchdog says

The Globe and Mail 17/06/2025 - A protester’s personal details contained in their passport applications were given to Canada’s spy agency by the federal Immigration Department, although it received no evidence that the target posed a security threat.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service had justified the request to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada by attaching an excerpt from a news story with a comment the protester had made at the demonstration.

The watchdog that oversees federal intelligence agencies raised concerns in a report about the 2023 request for the protester’s passport details, and IRCC’s decision to comply. The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency noted in the report reviewing disclosures in 2023 by government institutions that CSIS is not allowed to investigate lawful protest, advocacy or dissent.

“NSIRA expects institutions with a national security mandate to exercise caution when requesting information relating to an activity protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” said the NSIRA report, which was tabled in the House of Commons on Friday. Passport applications contain not just a photograph but information on place of birth, marital status, employment history, current and past home addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and personal information on friends and associates – including those cited as an emergency contact, references and a guarantor.

The review questioned why IRCC agreed to the demand from CSIS, which wanted the protester’s current and past passport applications. “IRCC did not request any additional rationale from CSIS,” the report said. “It disclosed the individual’s passport application, including some associate’s information, along with the individual’s passport number, place of issue, and dates of issue and expiry.”

Tim McSorley, national co-ordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, said it is “outrageous that either CSIS or Immigration Canada would find it appropriate to share information based on statements made at a protest and reported in the news.” He said ministers must share what is being done to prevent this from happening again.

In 2023, IRCC also gave CSIS complete visa application packages submitted by several people without firmly establishing that they were linked to a threat to Canada. The report said IRCC “proactively disclosed to CSIS the visa applications of several individuals who received a work permit in various research fields linked to economic security threat.”

“These applications included personal information such as employment history, travel history, contact information, photos, passport information, and associate’s information,” the report says. “This was part of IRCC’s effort to proactively identify and share with CSIS information about individuals that may engage in activities that pose a threat to Canada’s economic prosperity.” It said “there was no information indicating that any of the several individuals in question were involved in activities that undermined the security of Canada.”

Most of the visa applicants were not deemed a sufficient threat to have their paperwork sent to CSIS for security screening, the report noted. In one case the application had been sent to CSIS for review and given “a favourable recommendation” before the person was granted a visa. CSIS had also asked for passport information about any people with a valid visa “currently working for a specific foreign entity.” IRCC found it did not have such information, but it provided the spy agency with other details.

“IRCC did not have any passport applications for the individuals that matched the search criteria, but nevertheless disclosed entire visa applications for some individuals,” the report found. “IRCC also provided information about individuals who had previously worked at the foreign entity, and individuals who did not have a valid visa.” The report said there was a “misalignment between what was requested and what was disclosed.” [...]

The watchdog said IRCC adopted a fresh approach at some point in 2023 to assessing requests for passport information, which led it to redact some details. It also requested explanations to clearly link the subject of the request to an investigation. When CSIS did not provide it, IRCC cancelled the disclosure.

“IRCC’s new approach to assessing the proportionality of passport information disclosures was not well received by CSIS, who characterize their receipt of redacted passport applications as a ‘massive’ hindrance,” to investigations, the report noted.

The watchdog found that IRCC’s “increased attention to privacy interests” in disclosing passport applications was not matched when it came to imparting information from visa applications. Read more - Lire plus

Prime Minister Carney must take decisive action to end genocide in Gaza

The ICLMG's National Coordinator, Tim McSorley, signed this letter alongside 531 other Canadians, including academics, lawyers, former and retired ambassadors (including to the United Nations), ministers and public servants, UN human rights experts, and civil society, labour and faith leaders.

Alex Neve's blog 09/06/2025 - Prime Minister,

We write this Open Letter to you as a group of 532 professors of law and lawyers with backgrounds in international law and human rights; academics with demonstrated expertise in international relations, justice and human rights; civil society, faith and labour movement leaders; and former and retired ministers, diplomats and public servants who have worked over many decades to advance Canada’s global interests. We write because of the catastrophic human rights and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, now into its twentieth month, which is broadly understood by international law experts and leading human rights organizations as constituting genocide.

Waiting, vacillating, remaining silent and failing or, worse, refusing to act in the face of mounting and incontrovertible evidence of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity can no longer be options for Canada. But it is not enough to simply speak out. Canada must do everything in its power to stop these atrocities and support efforts to bring those responsible to account. This is what our signatures on the 1948 Genocide Convention and the 1998 Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court demand.

We offer five priority recommendations for action, which are described in more detail at the end of this letter. We urge you to take up these suggestions both unilaterally and jointly with partners, including at the upcoming G7 Summit.

• Work actively towards an immediate, permanent ceasefire and the release of all Israeli and Palestinian captives.
• Insist on full humanitarian access to Gaza in a manner in keeping with core humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, and demand that the Israeli ban on the UN Relief and Works Agency be completely lifted.
• Publicly support the role of and fully comply with international courts in holding to account those who violate international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Israel.
• Pursue all possible domestic measures, including immediately withdrawing from the free trade agreement between Canada and Israel, imposing sanctions on Israeli leaders and other individuals suspected of involvement in atrocity crimes, initiating investigations into charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act (including any Canadians or dual nationals involved in such crimes) with the aim of prosecuting offenders in Canada or other jurisdictions, enforcing a full and comprehensive two-way arms embargo, and stripping charitable status from organizations found to be complicit in crimes under international law.
• Without further delay, join the 149 states who recognize the State of Palestine and support all efforts for Palestine to be admitted as a full member of the United Nations. Read more - Lire plus

German chancellor’s rebuke of Israel marks a shift in state policy that has long put such criticism out of bounds

NEW ACTION Canada must condemn Israel’s strike on Iran and immediately suspend all arms exports to Israel

UPDATED Urgent Action for Gaza Moms: Canada Must Urgently Evacuate Doaa, Nariman and Nariman's children

NEW Ottawa rally: Hands off the Middle East! Sat June 21, 2PM

Il est minuit moins une pour le peuple palestinien : le Canada doit radicalement changer d’approche

La CSILC a signé la lettre aux côtés de 158 organisations , 165 personnalités publiques, et 693 autres signataires.

Coalition du Québec Urgence Palestine 15/06/2025 - Sous les bombes depuis 20 mois, la population de Gaza y est tuée, blessée, terrorisée, déplacée sans arrêt. Ses moyens de survie ont été anéantis. Le blocus l’a amenée au bord de la famine. C’est dans ce contexte qu’Israël a lancé, le 18 mai, une invasion terrestre dont l’objectif avoué est de déplacer la population dans à peine 20 % du territoire et de compléter la destruction de ce qui reste d’infrastructure civile, de telle sorte que la population n’ait «nulle part où retourner». Le 21 mai, Benjamin Netanyahou a même inclus dans ses exigences l’application du «plan Trump» : expulsion des Palestinien·nes et contrôle étasunien de la bande de Gaza.

Le Canada doit cesser d’être complice du génocide d’Israël

Le 19 mai, le Canada, dans une déclaration commune avec la France et le Royaume-Uni, haussait nettement le ton à l’endroit d’Israël et demandait l’entrée libre de l’aide humanitaire et la fin de la nouvelle offensive, en brandissant la menace «d’autres actions concrètes» ou de «sanctions ciblées». Mais ce sont là des paroles, alors que c’est le temps d’agir… depuis très longtemps.

Au-delà de l’extrême urgence actuelle, l’enjeu à saisir n’est PAS qu’Israël laisse entrer l’aide en ce moment ni qu’il stoppe son offensive actuelle. Comme l’ont rappelé, le 8 mai dernier, près d’une quarantaine de rapporteurs spéciaux et experts de l’ONU, les États du monde sont confrontés au choix décisif suivant : «mettre un terme au génocide en cours ou le voir mettre fin à la vie à Gaza».

Le Canada doit opter pour l’autodétermination palestinienne d’abord et avant tout

Depuis plus de 30 ans, le Canada a soutenu des «processus de paix» sous le couvert desquels Israël a, ouvertement et en toute impunité, accentué sa dépossession, sa violence et son humiliation à l’égard du peuple palestinien, jusqu’au génocide actuel à Gaza. Depuis octobre 2023, nous n’assistons pas à une «escalade tout à fait disproportionnée» en riposte aux attaques du Hamas, mais à la mise en œuvre, déjà très avancée, du plan d’Israël de saisir ce moment pour mettre un terme définitif à la possibilité même d’un État pour le peuple palestinien sur son territoire.

Le Canada, la France et le Royaume-Uni ont à nouveau professé leur «collaboration avec l’Autorité palestinienne, des partenaires régionaux, Israël et les États-Unis afin de parvenir à un consensus sur les dispositions à prendre concernant l’avenir de Gaza». La poursuite dans cette voie est, en fait, une négation du droit du peuple palestinien à l’autodétermination, parce qu’elle désigne unilatéralement ses représentants et subordonne l’exercice de ce droit à un consensus à trouver avec un État génocidaire et la superpuissance qui a soutenu et armé cet État génocidaire jusqu’à ce jour. À défaut de rompre avec cette vision et de mettre fin à toute forme de collaboration à ce projet ignoble, le Canada demeurera complice de tous les crimes d’Israël.

Le Canada doit agir résolument

Le Canada doit prendre résolument le parti d’honorer ses obligations en vertu de la Convention pour la prévention et la répression du crime de génocide et en vertu de l’avis du 19 juillet 2024 de la Cour internationale de justice selon lequel l’occupation et la colonisation israéliennes de Gaza et de la Cisjordanie sont illégales et doivent cesser «dans les plus brefs délais» (un délai que l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies a fixé au 17 septembre 2025).

Seules des actions d’une grande force peuvent faire reculer Israël. S’il ne veut pas demeurer complice des crimes d’Israël, le Canada doit déployer IMMÉDIATEMENT TOUS LES MOYENS d’action politique et économique à sa disposition, en tant qu’État. Et ils sont nombreux : reconnaître immédiatement l’État de Palestine, appliquer un réel embargo bilatéral sur tout matériel militaire, se joindre à des actions devant les cours internationales, résilier des ententes économiques et militaires, imposer des sanctions, rompre les relations diplomatiques, pour n’en nommer que quelques-uns.

Le Canada doit aussi œuvrer à ce que tous ses alliés fassent de même et que cette pression internationale réelle soit maintenue jusqu’à ce que soient obtenus non seulement la levée immédiate et permanente du blocus israélien de même qu’un cessez-le-feu immédiat et permanent, mais aussi le respect intégral, non négociable, du droit international par Israël et l’exercice, rapide et sans condition, du droit à l’autodétermination du peuple palestinien.

Notez que ce texte a été écrit avant l’agression d’Israël contre l’Iran. La réponse du Canada à cette agression (« droit d’Israël de se défendre! ») montre à quel point le Canada maintient son appui à Israël malgré ses crimes et assure toujours son impunité. Un changement radical de la politique canadienne s’impose donc toujours. Source

Israel Turns Gaza Aid Distribution Sites Into Open Killing Fields

Drop Site News 19/06/2025 - With the world’s attention on Iran, Israel’s extermination campaign in Gaza has reached new and horrifying depths. Every single day, starving Palestinians are forced to journey to remote areas to try and get food and attacked en masse, turning so-called aid distribution sites into open killing fields.

The attacks on Palestinians seeking food have dramatically increased over the past week, with dozens of people being shot and shelled on a daily basis. The death toll from the past few days alone is shocking: at least 38 people were killed on Monday, 59 on Tuesday, 22 on Thursday, and 35 on Friday. Over 400 have been killed and more than 3,000 wounded since late May in what the Gaza health ministry calls “aid massacres”—a new term added to the Gaza genocide lexicon.

Ahmed Nejm, a 28-year-old currently displaced with his family of 10 in Deir al-Balah, is in a wheelchair, unable to walk after he was wounded in an Israeli attack on a gathering of Palestinians seeking aid near Wadi Gaza (the Netzarim Corridor) on June 11. He went to the site fully aware of the risks.

“We are trying to manage during this famine,” Nejm told Drop Site. “There’s no bread and no flour. This is what made us go to try and find aid.” He said he arrived with his cousins and neighbors to the site before dawn to wait alongside hundreds of others. Hours later, the Israelis attacked without warning, opening fire with live ammunition and quadcopters. Dozens were killed, including Nejm’s 15-year-old cousin Abdulrahman. Covered in blood, Nejm managed to crawl away as the bullets kept coming. Ambulances were unable to reach the area and he was eventually carried to Al-Aqsa hospital. “We were in an area [the Israelis] had marked as green on the map. I don’t know why they started firing,” he said.

The worst aid massacre came on June 17, when at least 59 Palestinians were killed and over 200 wounded as they gathered to receive flour rations in Khan Younis. Nasser hospital was overwhelmed with casualties. “The medical team responding to the influx of patients had to clear the maternity ward to make space for the wounded, turning delivery rooms into emergency operating theaters. Many of the injuries required amputations to save the patients' lives,” Doctors Without Borders, which was operating in Nasser, said in a statement. “Every day Palestinians are met with carnage in their attempts to receive supplies from the insufficient amount of aid trickling into Gaza.” Read more - Lire plus

Israel commits ‘extermination’ in Gaza by killing civilians sheltering in schools, UN experts say

Satellite imagery reveals total razing of Khuza’a in May 2025 in further evidence of Israel’s wanton destruction and genocide in Gaza

The Lancet's Editorial: Gaza has been failed by silence and impunity

Israel’s interception of Madleen and detention of crew bound for Gaza flouts international law

Egypt's Crackdown on the Global March to Gaza

Israel's U.S.-Backed Aggression Reaches Its Iraq-War Moment

If Oct. 7 was Israel's Sept. 11, now it's at the phase of making an unsupportable WMD claim to launch the war it's long wanted. But we say no to war with Iran

ForeverWars 16/06/2025 - THESE ARE THE WORDS of the U.S. intelligence agencies in their consensus global threat assessment from March. You can find them on page 26 of this document. Their emphasis: 

We continue to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that Khamenei has not reauthorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003, though pressure has probably built on him to do so. In the past year, there has been an erosion of a decades-long taboo on discussing nuclear weapons in public that has emboldened nuclear weapons advocates within Iran’s decisionmaking apparatus. Khamenei remains the final decisionmaker over Iran’s nuclear program, to include any decision to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran is not on the verge of nuclear breakout. A war with Iran would not be justified even if it were—certainly not one launched by an undeclared nuclear power unconstrained by the Non-Proliferation Treaty and supported by a nuclear superpower that broke the only nuclear accord it ever reached with Iran. But it is not, and that matters. 

U.S. intelligence famously bent the knee to Bush administration warmongers in 2002 and manipulated the facts of Iraq's unconventional weapons capabilities. It is not doing so with Iran, even as it provides other forms of conciliation to the Trump administration. "They [the Iranians] are not developing a bomb right now," Susan Miller, the former CIA station chief in Israel, told SpyTalk's Jonathan Broder on Saturday. 

Before the Iraq War, when you spoke with the many theoreticians and advocates of the coming disaster, whether neoconservatives or liberals— back then, these were most of the people I worked with at The New Republic —it was understood that the weapons-of-mass-destruction argument the Bush administration presented was simply a convenient pretext. It's not that they didn't believe Iraq had such weapons, it's that they understood predicating a war on those (phantom) weapons was the easiest way to avoid making the war seem like the naked aggression it was. The weapons were not the point.

The point was to redraw the map of the Middle East to favor enduring American power, which meant American dominance, now that 9/11 (in their view) showed the urgency of doing so and the War on Terror provided the opportunity. "For reasons that have a lot to do with the U.S. government bureaucracy, we settled on the one issue that everyone could agree on, which was weapons of mass destruction as the core reason" for the invasion, Deputy Defense Secretary and Iraq War architect Paul Wolfowitz told Vanity Fair's Sam Tanenhuas a month after the U.S. took Baghdad.

Like George W. Bush before him, Benjamin Netanyahu called the war he launched on Thursday "preemptive." And similar to Bush, the only real difference between a preemptive war and a war of aggression is the proximity to the hegemony of the state launching it. Israel walks a road the U.S. paved and then guaranteed. It is determined not to learn any of Washington's lessons – in fairness, neither is Washington – and eager to substitute for those lessons a certainty that superior force will yield the results it wants.

Already Netanyahu is making it no great secret that his hope for the war is not to prevent a nuclear Iran but to destroy the Islamic Republic as a stretch goal. [...]  Murdoch media and others, like they did before Iraq, are encouraging Trump to join in on the assault. The rest of us must oppose them, clearly and unequivocally. No war with Iran, under any conditions. Read more - Lire plus

Canada: Why back Israel’s endless wars? Let’s make peace with Iran

Under Pressure From Pro-Israel Groups, Canadian Cities Are Restricting Protest

Truthout 15/06/2025 - Civil rights advocates and Palestinian solidarity groups in Canada have raised alarm over a growing wave of municipal bylaws prohibiting protests outside houses of worship, schools, and other sites.

They say the measures — which have been passed in Canada’s largest city, Toronto, among other places, and are being considered elsewhere — infringe on freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly.

Activists have also warned that the bylaws are part of a wider push to stifle demonstrations against Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

“It’s clear that this isn’t a response to an overall concern around the management of protest,” said Tim McSorley, national coordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, a coalition of dozens of civil society groups in Canada.

Instead, the bylaws are “a response to the overwhelming and unsubstantiated attacks on pro-Palestinian protests across the country,” McSorley told Truthout in an interview. “It’s based in anti-Palestinian racism and based in the characterization of those who would protest in favor of Palestinian human rights, against the ongoing genocide, as all being supporters of terrorism, which is clearly not the case.”

“Thieves Selling Properties Inside a Synagogue“

On May 22, the Toronto city council passed what has been colloquially referred to as a “bubble zone” bylaw, prohibiting certain rallies within 50 meters (164 feet) of places of worship, schools, child care centers, and other institutions. The regulation prohibits gatherings that discourage attempts to use the site; “obstruct, hinder or interfere with” access to the site; or “express an objection or disapproval towards any person” based on race, religion, citizenship, or other factors.

Individuals found to be violating the bylaw — which will come into force on July 2, 2025 — will face a fine of up to $5,000 Canadian ($3,650 USD). The move followed the passage of similar bylaws in the Toronto-area cities of Vaughan and Brampton, as well as in Calgary in the western province of Alberta. The city council in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, is also considering a similar measure. And while the Toronto bylaw states that it “does not prohibit peaceful gatherings, protests or demonstrations,” civil rights advocates say unequivocally that the measure — and others like it — aims to stifle demonstrations.

David Mivasair, a rabbi and active member of the group Independent Jewish Voices-Canada, said the wave of Toronto-area bylaws came in response to a large demonstration that was held last year at a local synagogue. The protest was organized there because the synagogue was hosting a real estate event that included homes in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

“If car thieves were running a used car sale in the parking lot of a synagogue, and the police knew that’s what was going on, they would shut it down immediately. What we had was land thieves selling properties inside a synagogue,” Mivasair told Truthout.

He added that the purported issue that the bylaws are seeking to address — religious-based intimidation targeting people at their houses of worship — is a false problem. “No one that I’m aware of has ever protested at a house of worship while people are worshipping because they’re somehow opposed to people worshipping. That’s not what’s going on,” he told Truthout in an interview. Instead, Mivasair said the bylaws “are intentionally designed — engineered — by major Zionist organisations in Canada who want to suppress honest, public discourse about Israel and Palestine” and outlaw Israel-related protests.

Pro-Israel Lobby Groups Pushing Bans

Indeed, the demonstration at the synagogue had drawn the ire of pro-Israel lobby groups in Canada, which had been calling for protests to be banned near Jewish community institutions after Israel’s Gaza war began in October 2023.

When the City of Vaughan introduced its bylaw to ban protests within 100 meters (328 feet) of “vulnerable social infrastructure” last year, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs welcomed the move.

The center — arguably Canada’s most prominent pro-Israel organization — has been pushing for strict enforcement of the bans, saying in December of last year that it was “crucial” for the Toronto bylaw to “have teeth.” “It must include punitive measures for noncompliance, contain enforcement powers, and, most importantly, it must be enforced,” the group said. The center has also lobbied for legislation at the federal level that would criminalize what it dubs “dangerous protests” outside institutions.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney appears to be considering a federal prohibition in line with what the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and other pro-Israel lobby groups have been calling for. On May 22, Carney wrote in a social media post denouncing the deadly shooting of Israeli embassy workers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., that his government would “introduce legislation to make it a criminal offence to intentionally and willfully obstruct access to any place of worship, schools and community centres.” The legislation would also make it “a criminal offence to willfully intimidate or threaten those attending services at these locations,” the prime minister said.

Unnecessary and Unconstitutional

But legal experts say the bylaws violate Canada’s constitution, known as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The charter outlines four fundamental freedoms in Canada, including freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly. It states that those freedoms can only be limited if such limits “can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.”

Christine Van Geyn, litigation director at the Canadian Constitution Foundation, said last month that the bylaws fail to meet that test. “The right to protest is a fundamental right of Canadians. This new bylaw [in Toronto] will prohibit public protests on matters of public interest and will unjustifiably infringe on the right to freedom of expression,” Van Geyn said in a statement.

“While many Canadians disagree with and are upset with some of the protests we have seen in Toronto lately, there is no right not to be offended. In a democratic and pluralistic society, we should expect to be faced with people we disagree with,” she said.

James Turk, director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, also said the bylaws are unnecessary insomuch as Canada already has laws on the books around illegal behaviour at protests.

“Engaging in violence in Canada, threatening violence, engaging in hate speech as is defined in the Criminal Code and by our courts, obstructing people from going into buildings — are all currently against the law,” Turk told Truthout in an interview.

“A new bylaw is not going to do anything to change that,” he said, adding that in Toronto, the city police service came out against the bylaw by saying it already had the tools necessary to respond to demonstrations. The solicitor for the City of Toronto also acknowledged that the bylaw would likely face a legal challenge. [...]

“This Is About Restricting Public Debate and Protest”

The experts Truthout spoke with said the wave of bylaws ultimately aim to stifle public debate and dissent.

McSorley at the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group said the measures must be seen as part of a wider pushback against “language and opinions and actions … that disturb, which offend, and which make people feel uncomfortable.” “It’s not something that we can legislate out of existence,” he said. “If we bring in laws banning protests outside of certain areas, it sets a precedent. The worry would be that this makes it easier to then bring in other laws restricting protests, or expanding what kind of institutions would fall under these kinds of exclusions.”

Turk at the Centre for Free Expression also explained that freedom of peaceful assembly includes all sorts of disruptive behaviour — short of violence or advocating violence — since “the very nature of assembly is to draw public attention to an issue.” “They’re trying to shut down the public’s right to express disapproval,” Turk said about the proponents of the bylaws. “At the heart of it, this is about restricting public debate and protest in a democratic society,” he added. “The only purpose of this is to take away the public’s right to debate and protest and speak publicly about issues that others in the community don’t want to hear protests about.” Read more - Lire plus

Canada and India to share terrorism intelligence despite 2023 murder plot, says report

The Guardian 13/06/2025 - Canada and India plan to share intelligence in an effort to combat the rising threat of international crime and extremism, according to a new report from Bloomberg, days before a meeting between the two countries’ leaders.



Canadian officials declined to comment on the report, which, if confirmed, would represent a dramatic shift in relations between the two countries which for nearly two years have been locked in a bitter diplomatic spat after Canada’s federal police agency concluded that India planned and ordered the murder a prominent Sikh activist on Canadian soil.

Under the intelligence-sharing deal, which is expected to be announced during the G7 summit in Canada later this week, police from both countries will increase cooperation on transnational crime, terrorism and extremist activities. Canada has reportedly pushed for more work on investigations into extrajudicial killings.

Earlier this month, Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, was forced to defend his decision to invite the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, to the G7 summit in Alberta after Canada’s federal police said the shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar was orchestrated by the “highest levels” of the Indian government. [...]

The Bloomberg report, which underscores Carney’s attempts to mend relations with powerful nations, follows revelations that a suspected Indian government agent was surveilling former New Democratic party leader Jagmeet Singh as part of its network of coercion and intimidation.

According to Global News, the person, with suspected ties to both the Indian government and the Lawrence Bishnoi gang implicated in Nijjar’s death, knew Singh’s daily routines, travel plans and family. When the RCMP realized there was a credible thread to this life, they placed the federal party leader under police protection. [...] “If Jagmeet Singh isn’t safe … what does it mean for the rest of us?” Read more - Lire plus

UK - International lawyers sound alarm over counter-terror laws against Filton 18

WSWS 06/06/2025 - More than 20 international legal organisations have issued an open letter calling on authorities in the UK to “urgently cease the misuse of counter-terrorism legislation against the Filton 18”.

The letter provides a devastating exposure of the collapse of democracy in Britain, with the right to free speech and protest being overturned.

Eighteen members of Palestine Action (PA)—most aged in their 20s—are being held on remand and face “terrorism connected” prosecution over a protest at Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems in Filton, near Bristol, last August.

Six members of PA were arrested on August 6, after they drove through security fences in a repurposed police van, entered the factory, and allegedly damaged £1 million of military equipment including “killer drones” used to target and kill Palestinian civilians.

Police arrested eight more PA members between August 8 and 12 over their alleged connection to the protest. In November, the final eight were arrested. All were initially questioned and detained under counter-terrorism laws. They were held for 36 hours, extended to seven days under section 5 of the Terrorism Act (2000). Their detention under the Act meant police treated PA’s protest as involving the “commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”.

The open letter challenges the use of counter-terror laws against the Filton 18, connecting it to “a broader pattern of increasing restriction and repression of collective dissent in the United Kingdom, including in relation to the ongoing genocide in Gaza”. This includes “increasing use of anti-terrorism powers against journalists reporting on Palestine; undue restrictions on public events and discussion under the problematic ‘Prevent’ duty under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015; injunctions against Palestine-related protests on university campuses; and undue treatment or labelling of Palestine and environmental protestors as terrorists.”

Legal groups across six continents have supported the letter published Tuesday. Signatories include the National Lawyers Guild International (USA), International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), Indian Association of Lawyers, Progressive Lawyers’ Association (Turkey), and the Worldwide Lawyers Association (WOLAS).

Although none of the Filton 18 were ultimately charged with terrorism offences—they are charged instead with “criminal damage”, “aggravated burglary” and “violent disorder”—the Crown Prosecution Service has called on the courts to treat their case as having a “terrorist connection”.

The letter explains the impact of such a ruling, “If the court determines that an offence was committed with a terrorism connection, this constitutes an aggravating factor for sentencing.” All 18 have been denied bail and are being subjected to “higher security protocols” in prison due to their initial arrest and detention under counter-terror laws.

United Nations Special Rapporteurs have expressed serious concern about the activists’ detention, investigation and prosecution. This includes periods of “incommunicado detention” imposed on the Filton 18 which UN experts found “may [have] amount[ed] to enforced disappearance”.

The first of three separate hearings for the Filton 18 will begin in November 2025, meaning the activists will have been held in prison on remand for well over a year. The youngest of the Filton 18 is just 21 years old.

“The Filton 18 case is a litmus test for democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights in the United Kingdom”, the letter declares. Its authors find the defendants have suffered “serious violations of fair trial rights and other human rights”.

”Chilling effect”

The open letter criticises “the overly broad definition of terrorism in UK legislation” which enables counter-terrorism powers to be used against political protest “that is not genuinely terrorist in nature” producing “a chilling effect on political protests, freedom of expression and opinion, the right to participate in public life, and political and public discourse.”

The Terrorism Act (2000) and Terrorism Act (2006) used against the Filton 18 were introduced by the Blair Labour government as part of the “War on Terror”, used in justification for war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and the suppression of democratic and legal rights at home.

The lawyers’ groups cite the opinion of UN rapporteurs who warned that police, “exercised significant powers under counter-terrorism legislation despite the absence of a credible connection between the activists’ conduct to terrorism as properly defined”.

The UN experts found that anti-terrorism legislation “may have been used to circumvent procedural safeguards in relation to detention, and as a specific and general deterrent” – suggesting there may have been an illegitimate ulterior purpose for their detention, which would amount to a serious breach of human rights standards signalling backsliding of the rule of law.” [...]

UK repression of dissent linked to genocide

Significantly, the open letter links the “misuse of anti-terrorism legislation” against the Filton 18 to the UK’s “continuing link to gross human rights violations in Palestine” and to “seemingly unlawful ties between the UK and Israel”.

It cites the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on 26 January 2024, that Israel had a plausible case to answer for genocide in Gaza. “Israel failed to comply with the ICJ’s provisional measures orders and continued to violate international humanitarian law, including through indiscriminate bombings.” [...]

While young people in Britain who protest these crimes against humanity are subjected to detention and interrogation reminiscent of a police state, Israel’s state terrorism against a defenceless civilian population, backed militarily, financially and politically by British and US imperialism, proceeds with impunity. Read more - Lire plus

Meet the Filton 18

Palestine Action expected to be banned after vandalism of planes at RAF base

CAGE Files Application to Deproscribe Hamas Due to Systemic Suppression of Free Speech

Podcast: The LA Protests and the Imperial Boomerang w/ Forever Wars' Spencer Ackerman

American Prestige & Zeteo 14/06/2025 - The best analysis of the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles comes from a poet and politician who died in 2008.

Aimé Césaire's seminal 1950 Discourse on Colonialism sought to make sense of a West emerging from the spectacular violence of Nazi Germany with certain convenient amnesias. Hailing from the French Caribbean colony of Martinique, Césaire found it risible that a shattered Europe did not – or, more accurately, would not – connect Nazi atrocities to those that the great European powers committed against the native populations of their claimed overseas possessions.

"[B]efore they were [Nazism's] victims, they were its accomplices," Césaire wrote. “[T]hey tolerated that Nazism before it was inflicted on them… they absolved it, shut their eyes to it, legitimized it, because, until then, it had been applied only to non-European peoples." Césaire called this a "terrific boomerang effect." With some refinement, his concept is now known as the "Imperial Boomerang."

Césaire would definitely have recognized the Imperial Boomerang landing on the streets of Los Angeles. In the viral videos of chipped concrete raining on police cars from overpasses, Césaire would have seen the lineage of Palestinian stones thrown at Western-backed Israeli occupying forces, or even trash thrown by Kurds in Syria furious at the retreating US forces that left them to their fate from Turkish invaders in 2019. In the arrival of Black Hawk helicopters, mass surveillance tools, and the federalized California National Guard to LA, Césaire would have seen the fingerprints of the so-called US ‘War on Terror.’ As this piece was being edited, CNN reported that a battalion-sized force of 700 Marines would soon arrive in Los Angeles as if it was Fallujah.

And in the inciting event of ICE officers in bulletproof vests snatching unarmed laborers from a Home Depot parking lot – strange how their employers tend not to get arrested, huh? – Césaire would have seen not only the arbitrary detentions that are central features of military occupations, but the vengeful persecution of Western governments against the arrival of migrants from the countries those Western militaries destabilize.

Were Césaire alive to conduct a structural analysis of the advancing militarization of American law enforcement since 9/11, I suspect he would have understood the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a template for how Imperial Boomerangs operate in the 21st century. Source + Listen - Écouter

Trump has deployed more U.S. troops in Los Angeles than is currently serving in Iraq and Syria

Florida sheriff warns protesters ahead of nationwide rallies: ‘We will kill you dead’

Trump Is Rapidly Expanding the Surveillance State as Protests Grow

Less than 10% of immigrants taken into ICE custody since October had serious criminal convictions, internal data shows

Video: Some More News: Where ICE Came From And Why It Needs To Be Abolished

The Trump administration has detained multiple members of Congress who were attempting to perform their oversight duties

Trump team plans to send thousands of migrants to Guantanamo starting as soon as this week

Politico 10/06/2025 - The Trump administration is planning to dramatically ramp up sending undocumented migrants to Guantanamo Bay starting this week, with at least 9,000 people being vetted for transfer, according to documents obtained by POLITICO.

That would be an exponential increase from the roughly 500 migrants who have been held for short periods at the base since February and a major step toward realizing a plan President Donald Trump announced in January to use the facility to hold as many as 30,000 migrants. The transfers to Guantanamo could start as soon as Wednesday, the documents state. The expectation is that the detainees would be at the facility temporarily before being deported to their countries of origin. [...]

The plan also comes amid intensifying legal efforts to block the administration from using Guantanamo Bay to house immigrant detainees altogether. A federal class-action lawsuit pending in Washington indicates that there are roughly 70 immigrant detaineescurrently held there and facing “punitive” conditions, such as insufficient food, weekly changes of clothes and rodent infestation.

“The government has identified no legitimate purpose that is served by holding immigrant detainees at Guantanamo, rather than at detention facilities inside the United States,” ACLU attorneys argue in the lawsuit. “Instead, defendants are using the threat of detention at Guantanamo to frighten immigrants, deter future migration, induce self-deportation, and coerce people in detention to give up claims against removal and accept deportation elsewhere.” The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed by President Donald Trump. Read more - Lire plus

Another Dozen Migrants Are Transferred to Guantánamo

After labeling transfers to Guantánamo as ‘fake news,' Trump deports Haitians from there

Alleged Bali bombing mastermind to face trial in Guantanamo Bay after 22 years in custody

Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Lawyer: Trump Admin’s Trafficking Charges Must Be Viewed with “Suspicion”

EVENT Amnesty USA: Guantanamo to CECOT: Abuses by the US Government in the Name of “National Security”, June 25, 12pm ET

The War on Nonprofits

Persecuting NGOs in the name of national security often serves as a pretense for government efforts to quiet dissent and consolidate power. 

Lawfare 17/06/2025 - On June 11, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) and her colleagues on the House Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee launched an investigation into 200 nonprofit organizations suspected of supporting illegal immigration. On the same day, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and the Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism announced a similar investigation in the wake of the peaceful protests in Los Angeles.

These are not isolated incidents. Just last week, Green hosted a hearing entitled “Public Funds, Private Agendas: NGOs Gone Wild” aimed at “exposing” nongovernment organizations (NGOs) as “corrupt” agents of “money laundering” and “abuse.” Meanwhile, a provision that would allow the secretary of the treasury to accuse any nonprofit of being a “terrorist supporting organization” without providing evidence was defeated narrowly in the House Ways and Means Committee.

These actions synchronize with a growing, coordinated movement by Republican-controlled state legislatures to pass domestic terrorism laws—and to use post-Sept. 11 state laws that criminalize domestic terrorism, or support and assistance for it—to suppress civil society and citizen activism.

Americans typically think of NGOs as organizations providing “public benefit”: feeding the poor, aiding social causes, or supporting health or medical research. As the law governing 501(c) status states, no particular person or stakeholder makes a profit from these activities. The broad array of big and small political ideas, social causes, and local and national efforts has led to a nonprofit landscape of more than 1.48 million nationally.

So why are conservative leaders in Congress attempting to link these organizations with crime and terrorism? In repressive regimes around the world, expanding the government’s ability to label groups as criminals and terrorist organizations has been a successful tool—not to prevent terrorism, but to shrink the public space, limit social discourse, and consolidate authoritarian power. As Republican actions indicate an effort is underway to target NGOs, considering how other governments have chosen to categorize domestic citizen groups as a threat to erode fundamental rights could provide key insights into how to approach events in the United States.

The War on Terror and the Original Sin of Targeting Nonprofits

In the wake of the terrorist attacks of 2001, there was growing suspicion that groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood were complicit—if not in directly supporting terrorism, then in providing financial or logistical assistance. This suspicion resulted in secretive government actions and congressional hearings; attacks on Arab American individuals and organizations increased 1600 percent from previous years. Terrorist incidents in the United Kingdom, Australia, and other locations generated similar animosity and suspicion, but the government response differed. Unlike in the U.S.—where the government viewed nonprofits as potentially subversive—leaders in the U.K. and elsewhere treated charitable organizations as allies in the fight against terror.

The U.S. government began putting in place legal frameworks to label nonprofits “material supporters” of terrorism following the 1993 attacks on the World Trade Center. Following Sept. 11, the Patriot Act expanded the “material support” prohibition to bar “expert advice or assistance” to terrorist organizations. In late 2001, several Muslim charities—the Benevolence International Foundation, the Global Relief Foundation, and the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development—were prosecuted on charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, leading to frozen assets and effectively forcing their closure. Muslim charities, faced with an unfriendly American public, were not vocal in their opposition; U.S. civil society in general, fearing public or government retribution, did not speak out about the perils of such prosecutions—including the potential for broad targeting of NGOs.

Fast forward 20 years and as a report compiled by a group of major civil rights organizations presented at the United Nations stated:

[A]fter 9/11, the terrorism framework and the “War on Terror” has taken hold at almost every level of government and law enforcement, shrinking the space for movements, dissent, and civil society, and hindering the rights enshrined and protected in the ICCPR. Today, it has become clear that the laws passed, agencies and infrastructures created, and rationales promulgated to ostensibly make Americans safer, combat terror, and preempt harm have all been turned against Black dissent, Indigenous activists, Muslim, Arab and South Asian communities, environmental justice groups, and the increasingly intersectional movements that challenge an unjust status quo. Rather than being “unintended consequences” of the security apparatus, the chilling and disruptive effect of these laws must be understood as an intentional outcome. It is a feature, not a bug, of the so-called “counterterrorism” architecture.”

In short, efforts to counter terrorism and address the legitimate fears and concerns of American citizens opened the door for abuse of the same provisions for political purposes. The first Trump administration responded to the genuine grievances expressed in nationwide Black Lives Matter (BLM) peaceful protests with allegations of terrorism, and the mounting of a militarized response. In this administration, Trump’s actions—including invoking the Alien Enemies Act —demonstrate an intent to operate outside the law under the pretext of national security. Across the country, religious groups providing assistance to migrants are being criminalized; in Georgia, protesters are being charged as terrorists. These ever-expanding laws created by conservative lawmakers are the direct consequence of government impunity in the post-Sept. 11 era. [...]

NGOs Are Citizen Groups Doing Good Things

Luckily, lessons from around the world can also provide insight into how to counter the abuse of counterterrorism laws—through unrelenting vigilance. In Serbia, after the government passed several counterterrorism and terror financing laws in 2020, an international coalition worked together to educate the public and Serbia’s trading partners about the government’s efforts to consolidate power. The increased attention from media and governments slowed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s efforts, which included the abuse of international agreements to justify investigations. Civil society in Kenya defeated several iterations of anti-terrorism acts and policies by creating a Civic Freedoms Forum—a coalition of NGOs that organized self-protection measures for organizations under specific threat, including collective legal and civic rights campaigns and supporting civil society efforts to preempt iterative attempts by the government to enact broad anti-terrorism policies.

 In reality, NGOs play an essential role in both preventing domestic extremism and overseeing the implementation of counterterrorism policies that don’t infringe on fundamental rights. In the world’s most successful democracies, governments work closely with citizen groups to set the agenda, inform policy, and address social change. Reinforcing how essential NGOs are to communities—as first responders to crisis and everyday community heroes, not faceless or malicious institutions—is critical. In Kyrgyzstan, citizens fought to shoot down legislation that would stifle and even criminalize activism, demonstrating the importance of a public who recognizes the efforts of their fellow citizens as complementary and essential to a functioning government. In the United States, the narrative that NGOs have “gone wild” runs counter to the reality: NGO workers are friends and neighbors invested in improving their shared community.

While Americans can’t predict exactly how Trump and his allies are intending to implement restrictions on civil society, the administration’s actions and statements so far tell us that this is the time for vigorous and proactive steps to protect our society and our nation. NGOs and their valuable work are vital to democracy. Source

Input to UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-terrorism and Human Rights for upcoming report on the human rights impacts of administrative measures to counter terrorism

C&SN 06/06/2025 - On June 6, 2025, the Charity and Security Network (C&SN) submitted input to the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, Ben Saul. C&SN’s collaborative submission was in response to the Special Rapporteur’s call for inputs to inform his “thematic report on the human rights impacts of administrative measures to counter terrorism, to be presented to the UN General Assembly in October 2025.”

Administrative measures in counter-terrorism (CT), such as executive orders (EOs), sanctions, immigration restrictions, and enhanced surveillance, are often implemented without adequate due process, transparency, and judicial oversight, as they usually stem from executive action or authority combined with national security justifications. For this reason, while purportedly intended to prevent terrorism, their design and application frequently lead to disproportionate human rights impacts.

The United States (U.S.) government increasingly deploys and expands administrative CT measures, often resulting in significant human rights concerns and operational challenges for civil society. In particular, the executive branch has accelerated the expanded use of these measures in recent months under the new Trump Administration, impacting civic space domestically and around the globe.

C&SN’s submission outlines how the U.S. government has expanded the CT framework in the U.S. through the following administrative measures, negatively impacting human rights, civic freedoms, and the ability of civil society organizations to continue their critical work: 

• The issuance of Presidential EOs; 
• Designations of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), Specially Designated Global Terrorism Designations (SDGTs), 
• Designations of Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) and expansion of sanctions regimes; 
• Increased immigration regulations and enforcement; 
• Department of Justice (DOJ) guidelines and task forces for terrorism-related offenses; 
• Dismantling of federal agencies responsible for oversight mechanisms; and, 
• Attempted weaponization and abuse of administrative laws and agencies by the U.S. Congress. Read more - Lire plus

Palestine Legal Condemns US Designation of Palestinian Human Rights Group Addameer as Genocide Escalates

How Trump Is Twisting a Law Historically Used Against Jews to Target Pro-Palestine Students

OTHER NEWS - AUTRES NOUVELLES

Accountability

Imputabilité

UK spy agencies too slow to realise CIA was mistreating prisoners after 9/11, government admits

Criminalisation of dissent

Criminalisation de la dissidence

Hong Kong Intensifies Its Democratic Crackdown

Encryption

Chiffrement

The EU’s “Encryption Roadmap” Makes Everyone Less Safe

Freedom of expression

Liberté d'expression

Repression Without Borders: The Case of Abdulrahman Al-Qaradawi

I Was Detained, Deported from L.A. Airport for My Reporting on Gaza Campus Protests: Australian Writer

Mahmoud Khalil To Be Released From ICE Detention

ICE Won’t Rule Out Retaliating Against Immigrants Who Testify in Free Speech Case

Freedom of the press

Liberté de la presse

Saudi Arabia executes a journalist after 7 years behind bars

LA police launch investigation into seemingly intentional rubber bullet shooting of Australian reporter

The RCMP Investigated Maple Editor Davide Mastracci

Legislation

Pakistan - Rights body condemns Balochistan Anti-Terrorism Bill, calls it ‘deeply troubling’

HRW calls on Sri Lanka to fulfill its commitment to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act

UK Police forces to get authoritarian powers to extract data from online accounts

The Insidious Spread of ‘Foreign Agent’ Laws Continues

Italy: Draconian new law criminalizing peaceful protest while expanding police powers must be rejected

Migrant and refugee rights

Droits des migrant.es et réfugié.es

A father living in Canada faces indefinite separation from his son with Trump’s travel ban

Trump Travel Ban Punishes Victims of the U.S. War Machine

Trump administration weighs adding 36 countries to travel ban, memo says

Amnesty International: Trump’s travel ban will harm people seeking safety, spread hate and discrimination

New Jersey lawmakers need to pass Immigrant Trust Act

EU: Proposed deportation law fuels "far-right narratives" and should be withdrawn, says letter

Abolish Frontex

Privacy and surveillance

Vie privée et surveillance

CCLA calls for removal of political party privacy exemptions from Bill C-4

New book: ‘An Espionage Operation Unfolding in Real Time’: How one Toronto lab got involved in uncovering hacking attempts on human rights defenders in the Middle East

CitizenLab report: First Forensic Confirmation of Paragon’s iOS Mercenary Spyware Finds Journalists Targeted

Spyware and state abuse: The case for an EU-wide ban

UK Police use controversial AI tool that looks at people’s sex lives and beliefs

Miscellaneous

Divers

NEW ACTION Canada Must Permit Endangered Afghan Women's Rights Activist to Join Toronto Family

NEW ACTION Tell Carney to invest in Canadians’ wellbeing not the war machine

NEW ACTION Letter to Mark Carney: No Golden Dome for Canada

F-35 program facing skyrocketing costs, pilot shortage and infrastructure deficit: AG report

More Canadian war spending exactly what Trump demanded

No Kings: Millions Across U.S. Protest Trump’s Power Grab, Overshadowing His Military Parade

Legalising Authoritarianism through Pakistan’s Supreme Court

ICLMG ACTIONS DE LA CSILC

Canada: Abolish rights-violating terrorist entities list!

On October 15, 2024, the Canadian government placed the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network on Canada’s terrorist entities list. While ostensibly a tool to protect the safety and security of people in Canada and internationally, the list is an arbitrary political tool that undermines freedom of association, of expression and due process in the courts. Its effectiveness as a national security tool has never been demonstrated in a manner that justifies its use.

Due to these deep flaws, and more, the ICLMG has consistently called for the list to be abolished since the Canadian coalition’s founding in 2002. Please join us in urging the Canadian government to abolish the rights-violating terrorist entities list once and for all. Thank you!

Version française : Le Canada doit abolir la liste des entités terroristes!

CSIS isn't above the law!

In recent years, at least three court decisions revealed the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) engaged in potentially illegal activities and lied to the courts. This is utterly unacceptable, especially given that this is not the first time these serious problems have been raised. CSIS cannot be allowed to act as though they are above the law.



Send a message to the Public Safety Minister demanding that he take immediate action to put an end to this abuse of power and hold those CSIS officers involved accountable. Your message will also be sent to your MP and to the Minister of Justice.

Canada must protect Hassan Diab!

Send an email using ICLMG’s one-click tool and share widely!

Letter in English + Lettre en français

For more information on the case of Hassan Diab, read our webcomic, watch our animated version of the comic, or visit justiceforhassandiab.org.

Canada must repatriate all Canadians detained in NE Syria now!

Every day the government fails to bring these Canadians home, it places their lives at risk from disease, malnutrition, violence, and ongoing military conflicts. United Nations officials have even found that the conditions faced by Canadians in prison are akin to torture. Please click below to urge the federal government to repatriate all Canadians illegally and arbitrarily detained in northeast Syria without delay.

22 years of fighting deportation to torture: Justice for Mohamed Harkat Now!

December 10, 2024 - ironically Human Rights Day - marked the 22nd "anniversary" of the arrest of Mohamed Harkat under Canada's rights-violating security certificate regime. For Mr. Harkat, it's been two decades of fighting deportation to torture, 16 years of harassment and intrusive surveillance, arbitrary detention, solitary confinement, secret trials, PTSD: enough is enough! Justice for Moe Harkat now!

TAKE ACTION: Stop Moe Harkat's deportation to torture!

ACTION: Arrêtez la déportation vers la torture de Mohamed Harkat!

Reform Canada's extradition law now!

Canada’s extradition system is broken. One leading legal expert calls it “the least fair law in Canada.” It has led to grave harms and rights violations, as we’ve seen in the case of Canadian citizen Dr Hassan Diab. It needs to be reformed now.



Click below to send a message to urge the Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice and your MP to reform the extradition system before it makes more victims. Thank you!

Version française: Le Canada doit réformer la loi sur l'extradition!

Canada must protect encryption!

Canada, with other G7 nations, continues to push to weaken our access to strong, reliable encryption, after decades of being supportive of strong encryption. We need encryption to safeguard our data, our online transactions, our communications, and to protect the lives of journalists and human rights activists.

Please send a message to the Prime Minister of Canada, the Minister of Public Safety, as well as your Member of Parliament, to urge them to reverse course and once again commit to protecting encryption.

Regardez la vidéo avec les sous-titres en français + Agir

Protect our rights from facial recognition!

Facial recognition surveillance is invasive and inaccurate. This unregulated tech poses a threat to the fundamental rights of people across Canada. Federal intelligence agencies refuse to disclose whether they use facial recognition technology. The RCMP has admitted (after lying about it) to using facial recognition for 18 years without regulation, let alone a public debate regarding whether it should have been allowed in the first place. Send a message to the Prime Minister and the Public Safety Minister calling for a ban now.

What we’ve been up to from January to May 2025 and our plan for the rest of the year

ICLMG 30/05/2025 - Thanks to the support of our members and donors, here is what we were able to work on so far in 2025 :

• Open letter to the new Prime Minister and government
• 2025 federal election and National Security Info Card
• C-20: First independent watchdog for the CBSA
• C-27: Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022
• Online Harms
• Foreign Interference
• Combatting Racism & Islamophobia
• Canada’s terrorist entities list
• Palestine and the right to dissent
• Impacts of Counter terrorism financing
• Hassan Diab & Extradition
• Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Counter-terrorism
• And more!

What we have planned for the rest of 2025!

We have our work cut out for us! In response to threats of tariffs and annexation from the Trump administration, the Canadian government has problematically committed to the rapid expansion of border security, surveillance and information sharing with the US, and expanded the use of rights violating anti-terrorism tools. We also cannot ignore the US crackdown on protesters and migrants under the guise of fighting terrorism and protecting national security. We need to ensure that Canada disentangles itself from the US national security regime, resists US pressure to expand surveillance and counter-terror powers and tools at the expense of our civil liberties, and increases protections for privacy, dissent, migrants and asylum seekers.

We will continue our work on these issues and much more:

- Protecting our privacy from government surveillance, including facial recognition, and from attempts to weaken encryption, along with advocating for good privacy law reform

- Addressing the lack of regulation on the use of AI in national security

- Advocating for restrictions on Canadian information sharing with the US, including the application of the US No Fly List in Canada

- Campaigning for the repeal of secretive and rights violating national security lists, such as the Terrorist Entities List and the Canadian No Fly List

- Halting the rapid expansion of new security measures at the border and continuing to push back against the false narrative depicting migrants and refugees as security risks, and advocating for rights protection and accountability for border agencies, including by monitoring the creation of a new CBSA and RCMP watchdog agency

- Advocating with lawmakers and officials to protect civil liberties from the overall negative impact of national security

- Countering the escalating repression of free expression, dissent and protest in the name of “countering terrorism,” including the crackdown on protests in support of Palestinian human rights and against the genocide in Gaza. This includes countering new “bubble zone” laws at the municipal and federal levels

- Fighting for Justice for Mohamed Harkat, an end to security certificates, and addressing problems in security inadmissibility

- Fighting for Justice for Hassan Diab and reforming Canada's extradition law

- Addressing the impacts of measures to counter terrorism financing on civil society groups, including the CRA’s targeting of Muslim-led charities and restrictions and criminalization of the provision of international assistance and humanitarian aid

- Calling for the return of Canadian citizens and the non-Canadian mothers of Canadian children, who remain indefinitely detained in Syrian camps

- Pushing for restrictions on the implementation of new foreign interference laws

- Keeping you and our member organizations informed via the News Digest

- And much more! Read more - Lire plus

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Les opinions exprimées ne reflètent pas nécessairement les positions de la CSILC - The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the positions of ICLMG.