What Should Canada Do?

Abdulrahman is a Canadian citizen who loved his country deeply and greatly. Having had negative early life experiences in Kuwait, Abdulrahman was so ecstatic to move to Canada that when he touched down to his new home country, he “kissed the ground in Canada, as if I’m kissing Canada.” Canada offered Abdulrahman a positive school environment where he made friends, stating that “the students all treated each other the same.” Abdulrahman envisioned himself becoming an engineer, other times a computer programmer. As a youth dealing with mental health issues – notably, bipolar disorder and his tendency to fixate on a subject – and substance abuse, he was a vulnerable target for entrapment.

Canada failed Abdulrahman when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), a highly respected institution known by Canadians and internationally, decided to unlawfully give the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sensitive information about Abdulrahman’s medical reports. Furthermore, the RCMP decided not to intervene or even raise red flags but rather opted to hand over Abdulrahman to the United States where he would eventually be arrested, charged and sentenced to an unreasonable 40 years in prison.

Canada should:

• Do its utmost to bring Abdulrahman home. If the court appeal is unsuccessful which means that Abdulrahman will have to serve his entire sentence in the United States, Canada should, through the International Transfer of Offenders Act, accept Abdulrahman’s application to serve his time in a Canadian prison where he would be supported by his family, community and mental health services. Abdulrahman does not have a criminal or violent past: he does not pose a threat to society. Canada should redress the actions taken by the RCMP and make amends for its violations of the Convention on The Rights of Child.