Canada court rules terror jailings legal

OTTAWA, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Canada's Federal Court of Appeal has ruled security certificates used to detain suspected terrorists indefinitely without charge are constitutional.

The three-judge panel made the decision at an appeal hearing for Adil Charkaoui, a Moroccan-born man accused of working with terrorist group al Qaida, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Sunday.

Charkaoui was held for 20 months under the national-security certificates. The certificates allow police to hold prisoners without charging them or giving them access to the evidence against them.

At least six men were being held Sunday under the certificates, which have provoked fierce condemnation from critics who say they violate human rights and are unconstitutional.