Eight years ago, Canadian diplomats and their dependent people began to report symptoms, such as headache, memory loss, mood variations, vision problems, nausea and nose bleeding.
Diplomats brought prosecution against the federal government in 2019. The case is still hanging before the Federal Court. The 17 complainants ask for millions of dollars in damage. They argue that the Canadian government has not protected them, has hidden crucial information and minimized the risks they were running. Ottawa rejects any criticism of negligence or mischief.
Several members of the American diplomatic mission in Cuba have reported identical symptoms. The disease is known as “Havana syndrome”.
Several hypotheses circulate about the causes of the disease: the use of pesticides, the song of crickets, the bad works of a listening system and even a sonic attack by an enemy country.
In 2024, a global business report Canada concluded that these unexplained incidents “were not the result of a malicious act of one or more foreign actors”.
The report, written on the basis of an investigation by an inter -ministerial team and external experts, indicates that “pre -existing health problems, environmental factors and common diseases are likely to have played an important role in many of the symptoms felt”.
The authors add that “the authenticity of the proven symptoms has never been called into question”.
Paul Miller, a complainant’s lawyer, told the Canadian press to be “very convinced” that a foreign actor was hiding behind these health problems.
“I really trust the people I met and with whom I spoke,” he said. I have no confidence in World Affairs Canada because they tried to write a story that works for them. ”
Three years ago, the parties agreed on the appointment of a former judge of the Supreme Court to arbitrate the cause of the nine families involved.
Me Miller says that the two days of discussions that took place at the beginning of 2023 “did not lead anywhere”.
He said he had made efforts to find new information, but many documents are classified confidential while waiting for the case to resolve. Some believe that they could reveal sensitive or potentially harmful information, according to the law on proof in Canada.
The World Affairs Report Canada has retraced the various efforts of federal agencies to intervene.
In June 2017, an investigation was launched by the GRC National Security Team.
“AMC and RCMP agents regularly go to Cuba as part of the survey in order to detect the possibility of possible malicious attacks and to implement surveillance and detection strategies,” read the report. Canada has shared the information obtained with foreign partners, including the United States.
In 2019, instruments designed to detect and record traces of acoustic or radiation phenomena and measure their effects on the environment – Tempture, humidity, barometric pressure, ozone rate – are installed in the housing of Canadian diplomatic personnel in Havana.
“The data collected by the instruments do not provide relevant and convincing information to determine the cause of the symptoms, so that the instruments are removed in 2022,” said the report.
The integrated national security team then concluded “that there had been no criminal act committed and that nothing made it possible to attribute these symptoms to a foreign actor”.
“In their conclusions, the RCMP and other national partner organizations assess that no criminal act has been discovered in connection with unexplained health incidents, whose responsibility can be attributed to anyone. In addition, there is no tendency between symptoms, age, sex, place of residence or any other variable, ”says the report.
Another lawyer, Mark Zaid, who represents members of American staff who have suffered from the same symptoms, said in May 2024 in the congress that there was scientific evidence, medical demonstrating the existence of health problems caused by a foreign actor.
Me Zaid, who had access to these secret documents, said it was convinced that “these proofs […] contradict the conclusions of public inquiries “of American federal agencies.
Global Affairs Canada say they are sticking to the conclusions of the 2024 report.
A spokesperson John Babcock says that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued to support Canadian diplomats and people.
“For reasons of security and confidentiality, World Affairs Canada cannot comment on the details of an in progress, an individual case or other security measures,” he wrote in an email. We cannot comment more on as long as the cause is in court. ”