(Ottawa) A young Canadian from Ottawa accused of “terrorist activities against Jewish people” was also charged Monday with possession of explosive substances and “intent to use them,” we have learned from a source familiar with the file.
Published at 9:24 p.m.
The defendant arrested on Saturday – who cannot be identified due to his age – was already facing two charges of “enabling” and “directing” “terrorist activity against Jewish people.”
In particular, it is noted that he had contact with other people in Canada and the United States in October.
The three new charges say he was in possession of explosive substances, including acetone, an oxidizer, and metal ball bearings, with the intent to “endanger life” when he was arrested Saturday.
The defendant, who remains in custody, appeared briefly via video conference at the Ottawa courthouse on Monday.
At the time of his arrest, Canadian Federal Police made it clear that they were observing a “worrying trend toward violent extremism and the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes, particularly among young people.”
Since June, five young people have been arrested for terrorist offenses, she added.
“I am shocked to learn the details of a planned attack on Ottawa’s Jewish community,” said the Canadian capital’s mayor, Mark Sutcliffe, on X on Saturday.
For its part, the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, an advocacy group that represents Jewish organizations across Canada, said it had been violated.”
An increasing number of anti-Semitic incidents have been reported in Canada since October 7, the date of the bloody Hamas attack on Israeli soil, to which Israel responded by declaring a war to “annihilate” Hamas, leading to heavy bombardments of the Gaza Strip.
In November, two Jewish schools in Montreal were the target of shootings, one of them twice, without causing any injuries. Molotov cocktails also hit a synagogue and a Jewish community center.
In Toronto, police reported a significant increase in racist crimes in the Canadian metropolis at the end of November.