Mohamed Harkat
Algerian refugee
Mohamed Harkat (Arabic: محمد حركات) (born August 6, 1968, Algeria) is a native-born Algerian and permanent resident of Canada who was arrested in 2002 and was imprisoned under security certificates after the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) concluded that he entered the country as a sleeper agent for al-Qaeda. His court challenge of the government's security certificate proceedings - which could lead to his deportation from Canada - are ongoing. The Harkat case is one of Canada's longest-running judicial matters.
Early life and education
Mohamed Harkat was born in Taguine, Algeria to El-Ait, and is one of seven sons. His father was born in Algeria, but worked both there and in France in the construction business.
As a student at the University of Oran, Harkat joined the Front Islamique du Salut (FIS) in 1989, when it was still a legitimate political movement. He offered them the use of a family-owned house in Zmalet El Emir Abdelkader as a registered district office. Harkat was excused from Algerian military service because he broke his left leg as a child and it never properly healed.
In March 1990, the Algerian government stormed the house and arrested the FIS members within. Harkat was not present, and was warned by his uncle that security forces were seeking him.
The public source identifies “Mohamed Harkat” as algerian refugee. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Mohamed, Harkat and Algerian.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Mohamed Harkat”, the useful work is to connect “algerian refugee” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 31, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6891224. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1968, 2002, 1989 and 1990.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Mohamed Harkat”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Mohamed Harkat primary sources, Mohamed Harkat archive and Mohamed research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Mohamed Harkat”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Mohamed Harkat” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.