"Rendition" victim Maher Arar testifies before Congress via videolink

(Indymedia) A bi-partisan group of Congressmembers have personally apologized to Maher Arar, the Canadian citizen seized by U.S. officials secretly flown to Syria where he was tortured. Arar testified last week before a House panel, the first time he has had a chance to tell his story to U.S. lawmakers. But he couldn’t testify in person. Even though the Canadian government has cleared his name, Arar remains barred from the U.S. because the Bush administration says he poses a national security threat.

A group of Democratic and Republican members of Congress have personally apologized to Maher Arar. He is the Canadian citizen who was seized by U.S. officials in 2002 at JFK airport in New York and secretly flown to Syria as part of the Bush administration’s extraordinary rendition program. In Syria, Arar was held for almost a year in a grave-like cell and repeatedly tortured. He was released without ever being charged with a crime.

On Thursday, Arar testified before a House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on extraordinary rendition. It marked the first time Arar had a chance to tell his story to U.S. lawmakers. But he couldn’t testify before Congress in person.

Even though the Canadian government has cleared his name, Arar remains barred from entering the United States because the Bush administration maintains that he poses a national security threat.

This is the complete video of the hearing: