Delays cited in reports of torture of Canadians

OTTAWA — Canada’s diplomatic service has come under fire for taking months to notify the foreign affairs minister and top officials about cases where Canadians detained abroad are being tortured or mistreated.

The criticism stems from a review conducted by federal auditor general Michael Ferguson into 15 such cases last year as part of a broader examination of the consular services offered by Global Affairs Canada to Canadians travelling abroad.

The auditor general’s report found that consular officials responded quickly when there was a report of suspected torture or abuse against a Canadian detained in another country by getting in contact with the person.

But officials took between one and six months to formally assess the credibility of such allegations, Ferguson found, and another 29 days on average to flag cases of mistreatment to management — and 47 days to notify the minister of cases of torture.

The requirement to report cases of torture was a key recommendation put forward by Justice Dennis O’Connor in 2004, following his inquiry into the arrest and detention of Maher Arar.

However, “in our view, taking three months or more to advise the minister about whether a Canadian detained abroad is being or has been tortured does not meet the intent of Justice O’Connor’s recommendations,” the auditor general’s report said.

“We note that of the 15 cases we reviewed,” it added, “six Canadians remained detained abroad as of March 2018.”

O’Connor also recommended training for all consular officials on how to determine whether someone has been tortured or mistreated in prison, but Ferguson said the instructions that have been established are far from adequate.

Not only did about half of consular officials receive their training more than five years ago, without any update or refresher, but the lessons lasted about an hour and were very broad, he noted.