Mississauga News

01/11/06

Sami Kahil said he has hired a legal team that includes a high profile immigration and refugee lawyer to clear his name. Kahil was detained in Ixtapa, Mexico, last week in what he and his family claim was a case of mistaken identity. And, Amnesty International spokesperson John Tackaberry says Amnesty's Canadian Secretary General, Alex Neve, will meet with Kahil next week. 'Mr. Kahil's case raises a number of serious concerns about the Canadian government's involvement and the U.S. no-fly list,' he said. ... Kahil said he and his wife lost $5,000 they spent for an all-inclusive trip to Ixtapa. His wife and two young sons were sent home after hitting the tarmac in Ixtapa, while Kahil was held overnight in a Mexican detention centre after his name appeared on an American 'no-fly' list. 'If that was really me on that list, why am I back home? Why am I not being detained for questioning by the Americans,' he said. 'If it really was me on that list, I wouldn't be here. They ruined me. They ruined my name.' When Kahil travelled to the U.S. in the past using his Canadian passport, he encountered no problems. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security maintains this wasn't a case of mistaken identity, even though they didn't detain Kahil or charge him with an offence...

http://www.mississauganews.com/mi/news/story/3254774p-3768991c.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp