Two human rights organizations are calling on the Canadian government for answers amid "troubling revelations" of the U.S. Coast Guard's alleged mistreatment of suspected drug smugglers at sea and Canada's purported complicity.
In an open letter, Amnesty International Canada and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association urged Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan to provide information related to Canada's involvement in the U.S.-led Operation Martillo and similar joint efforts. The letter comes
following a joint investigation by The Current and The Investigative Fund, a New York nonprofit media organization.
"We would like to know what the Canadian Armed Forces' position is with respect to the human rights obligations that Canadian naval personnel carry out in the midst of a collaborative operation like that, and what safeguards are being put in place to scrupulously guard against the possibility Canadian naval personnel are drawn into complicity in human rights violations," Alex Neve, Amnesty International Canada's secretary general, told
The Current.
Last November,
an exposé by the New York Times and the Investigative Fund revealed that U.S. Coast Guard detainees were routinely shackled by their ankles to the decks of ships and left there for weeks, often exposed to the rain and sun. Many of the detainees were insufficiently fed and forced to sleep on hard rubber mats.
According to court filings and public statements, over the past three years, Canada has helped intercept dozens of suspected smugglers that the Coast Guard has detained.
A joint investigation by CBC's The Current and The Investigative Fund heard from seven suspected drug traffickers, who were picked up in international waters with the support of the Canadian navy. They report being mistreated after being handed to U.S. Coast Guard vessels. 42:52
"What we have is very clearly concerning and well corroborated reports that prisoners are locked and shackled out in the open on the decks of these ships, are held there in all weather — possibly for weeks and weeks on end," Neve said.
He added the organization has grave concerns over the quality and reliability of food and water the detainees are receiving as well as access to legal counsel or embassy officials from their country.
According to court filings and public statements from the military, over the past three years, Canada has helped intercept dozens of suspected smugglers whom the Coast Guard has detained. (Submitted by Oscar Alvia Anchundia)
As reported in The Current's documentary The Catch, the Canadian Forces confirmed that Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance and the deputy minister of national defence, Jody Thomas, were aware of the allegations.
Alex Neve, Amnesty International Canada's secretary general, is the co-author of an Open Letter calling on the government for answers about Canada's role in joint-operations at sea with the U.S. Coast Guard. 1:01
In response to
The Current's request for comment, the Department of National Defence said it stands by its statement issued in May in relation to the New York Times article and the recurring Operation Caribbe.
According to the statement, after the New York Times story, the military "quickly took several steps to ensure that our mission continues to be carried out with integrity and consistent with the law," which included reviewing logs, incident reports and post-deployment reports. The Forces also conferred with American counterparts and confirmed "our expectations regarding the treatment of suspected drug smugglers."
No detainees allege that CAF members were directly involved in their mistreatment.
