Judge rejects Crown's attempt to have CSIS, RCMP testify behind closed doors in lawsuit

Canadian intelligence and security officials won't be able to testify behind closed doors when Abousfian Abdelrazik's long-delayed lawsuit accusing the federal government of contributing to his detention and torture abroad finally goes to court next month.

Last month, the Crown moved a motion asking that six of its witnesses be allowed to testify behind closed doors when hearings officially start on Oct. 21 «to avoid injury to Canada's international relations, national defence and/or national security.»

The witnesses in question are current and former employees of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the RCMP and Global Affairs Canada.

Government lawyers argued that the public and media should be excluded from the courtroom during those officials' testimony to «prevent inadvertent disclosure» of protected secrets.

In a decision released Tuesday, Federal Court Justice Patrick Gleeson dismissed the Crown's request.

«The defendant Crown has advanced little evidence to establish the likelihood of the risk of inadvertent disclosure,» Gleeson wrote.

«They instead rely on the fluid and unpredictable nature of trial proceedings and the volume of information subject to protection to argue a serious risk of inadvertent disclosure.»

The decision is a win for Abdelrazik, who has waited more than a decade for his day in court.

Abdelrazik claims CSIS contributed to his detention

The Sudanese-born Canadian was arrested in Sudan during a 2003 visit. He was interrogated in custody by CSIS about suspected extremist links. Abdelrazik has denied any involvement with terrorism.

He spent the next six years in prison or in forced exile at the Canadian embassy in Khartoum as his attempts to return to Canada were rejected by the federal government.