22 August: A youth from the Greater Toronto Area has been charged by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for alleged ties to a terrorist organization. The RCMP revealed that the individual, who is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, allegedly engaged in activities associated with a listed terrorist group while still a minor.
Following a comprehensive national security investigation, the RCMP stated that there is currently no known risk to the public. “The RCMP continues to be concerned with the growing trend of violent extremism,” the force noted in a prepared statement. The RCMP emphasized that radicalization leading to violence is a phenomenon not confined to any specific background, culture, or religion.
Details regarding the specific actions of the accused were not disclosed by the police. However, the charges were laid after significant cooperation between various agencies, including the Toronto Police Service, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Provincial Anti-Terrorist Section, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Superintendent James Parr of the RCMP expressed gratitude for the collaboration in a statement released on Wednesday.
The youth, who was taken into custody earlier this week, is scheduled for a remote court appearance on August 27.
This incident marks the second case of terrorism-related charges in the Greater Toronto Area within a month. On July 29, Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, and his son Mostafa Eldidi, 26, were arrested in Richmond Hill. They were charged with nine terrorism-related offences, including conspiracy to commit murder on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq, also known as ISIS or Daesh.
Michael Kempa, a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa, acknowledged that while the recent arrests are concerning, the public should remain vigilant but not overly alarmed. He likened the situation to an Australian saying: “Be alert but not alarmed.”
Kempa pointed out that Canada’s anti-terrorism efforts, led by the RCMP, are facing challenges due to being overstretched across numerous tasks. As a result, Canada’s anti-terrorism capabilities lag behind those of allies in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
He also noted that radicalism increased during the pandemic, with more individuals drawn into extremist causes. However, police have improved their ability to detect these threats, as those involved tend to leave more digital traces.
Since 2018, the RCMP has focused more on domestic, internet-inspired terrorism, including threats from both the Christian right and extreme left anarchists. Kempa warned that “lone wolf” activists present a greater challenge and are more difficult to detect than organized terror cells.
In the previous month’s case involving the Eldidi family, Members of Parliament on the public safety and national security committee voted unanimously to investigate how the elder Eldidi was admitted to Canada and gained citizenship. Reports suggest that he was allegedly filmed participating in ISIS-related violence overseas, including a grisly act captured on video in 2015.
The RCMP announced the charges against the father and son on July 31, stating that they were in the advanced stages of planning a serious, violent attack in Toronto.
