OTTAWA — The federal government is defending its plan to start talks on an extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates as a civil society group issues a warning over the country’s human-rights record. Canada and the UAE signed a free trade deal last week and announced negotiations on an extradition treaty and a mutual legal assistance treaty. Amani Khalfan, a spokesperson for the social justice organization Inter Pares, says the UAE’s record of unlawful and arbitrary detentions is “appalling.” Khalfan asked what kind of message Canada would send to the world by signing extradition and defence treaties with the UAE, a country with a troubling human-rights record. Kwame Bonsu, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, says strengthening Canada’s foreign partnerships on investigating, prosecuting and preventing serious crime is critical to keeping Canadians safe. Bonsu says an extradition treaty would help bring individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes — such as money laundering, drug trafficking or cybercrime — to justice. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2026. Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
