Montreal man held by Sudanese officials seemed puzzled by detention, diplomat says [Video]

Ottawa –

A Canadian diplomat who visited Abousfian Abdelrazik while in Sudanese custody says the Montreal man told him he did not know why he was being held and that he wanted to return to Canada.

Abdelrazik, who is suing Ottawa over his lengthy ordeal, arrived in Canada as a refugee from Sudan and later became a Canadian citizen.

He was arrested in September 2003 while in his native country to see his ailing mother.

Canadian Security Intelligence Service officers travelled to Sudan the following month to interrogate him about suspected terrorist links.

Abdelrazik, 62, denies involvement in terrorism.

He says he was tortured by Sudanese authorities during two periods of detention, returning to Canada in 2009.

Abdelrazik is suing the Canadian government in Federal Court for $27 million, claiming officials arranged for his arbitrary imprisonment, encouraged his detention by Sudanese authorities and actively obstructed his repatriation to Canada for several years.

Federal lawyers argue Canada did not …