Families of Montreal brainwashing victims push for right to sue CIA, which funded experiments
It's well documented that the CIA, the American intelligence agency, funded the Montreal brainwashing experiments that forever altered Lana Mills Sowchuk's father and many, many others.
"He was tortured with 54 shock treatments, followed by 54 seizures," Mills Sowchuk said of her father.
He was admitted to the Allan Memorial Hospital in 1952 for asthma, told that he could be cured.
But he was put under the care of Dr. Donald Ewen Cameron, who was working on something known as MK Ultra, a secret experiment funded and sanctioned by the CIA.
By using brainwashing and torture techniques, they hoped to learn more about getting information out of spies.
"He was put in an insulin coma for 36 days with a recording saying 'your mother hates you,'" Mills Sowchuk said.
"They wiped his brain. This is not right. It should not have happened."
Sowchuk is part of a group seeking authorization to sue several bodies in Canada: the Allan Memorial Institute, the MUHC and the Canadian government.
But they also want to pursue their court action against the CIA. A lawyer for the U.S. Attorney General, however, is appealing to have the case against the CIA dismissed.
"Generally speaking, there’s immunity that countries get where they can’t be subject to civil action in other countries," explained lawyer Jeff Orenstein, who's representing the group.
But the victims say Cameron was carrying out human experimentation without his subjects' consent, and anyone aware of this should have stopped it, including the CIA.
They held a protest Wednesday to draw attention to their fight against the U.S. behemoth.
"There’s a lot of people in our case that we think should have intervened, either by not helping or cutting it off," Orenstein said.
"They funded part of the money for these treatments for their own good, to support the military and for political reasons, and they’re trying to get out of it," Sowchuk said.
Even if a judge sides with the CIA, the class action may still be authorized against the other parties.
Most of the victims have died, but their families, who are pursuing the lawsuit, say they're prepared for a long wait -- it's already been many years, and it may take several more before they see results.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.