Among the 18 arrests during the
2006 Toronto terrorism case
The 2006 Ontario terrorism case refers to the plotting of a series of attacks against targets in Southern Ontario, Canada, and the June 2, 2006 counter-terrorism raids in and around the Greater Toronto Area that resulted in the arrest of 14 adul ...
were four youths whose names could not be published because of the provisions of Canada's ''
Youth Criminal Justice Act
The ''Youth Criminal Justice Act'' (YCJA; french: Loi sur le système de justice pénale pour les adolescents) (the ''Act'') is a Canadian statute, which came into effect on April 1, 2003. It covers the prosecution of youths for criminal offen ...
''. One of them had the charges against him dropped nine months after his arrest and two others have been released on bail.
Two of the youths were former
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
s, who converted to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
, similar to older suspect
Steven Vikash Chand who also used to be Hindu.
Nishanthan Yogakrishnan
Nishanthan Yogakrishnan, aged 17 at the time of arrest, was the sole youth whose case went to trial and was found guilty of conspiracy.
He had moved to Canada with his family from Sri Lanka in 1994.
Following the camping trip in Orillia, friends had suggested he should cut off the Prime Minister's head since he had enjoyed chopping wood so much.
Described by Shaikh as "a few fries short of a
happy meal
A Happy Meal is a kids' meal usually sold at the American fast food restaurant chain McDonald's since June 1979. A small toy or book is included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a red cardboard box with a yellow smiley face ...
", the youth had suggested that the group convert the
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
In Canada, Indigenous groups comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Although ''Indian'' is a term still commonly used in legal documents, the descriptors ''Indian'' and '' Eskimo'' have fallen into disuse in Canada, and most consider the ...
to Islam, and then offer them control of
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
and
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
in exchange for killing Quebeckers.
[Pazzano, Sam. ]Toronto Sun
The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid format, tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Pos ...
, "Students' insults upset spy", July 4, 2008
At the trial, RCMP mole
Mubin Shaikh
Mubin Shaikh is a former security intelligence and counter terrorism operative, currently a Professor of Public Safety at Seneca College and also Counter Extremism Specialist for the U.S.-based NGO, Parents for Peace.
He rose to prominence in his ...
was accused of "confecting evidence" in order to protect the youth by the
crown prosecutor who made the rare move of labeling his own witness as
hostile
Hostility is seen as form of emotionally charged aggressive behavior. In everyday speech it is more commonly used as a synonym for anger and aggression.
It appears in several psychological theories. For instance it is a facet of neuroticism in ...
.
The youth was accused of
shoplifting
Shoplifting is the theft of goods from an open retail establishment, typically by concealing a store item on one's person, in pockets, under clothes or in a bag, and leaving the store without paying. With clothing, shoplifters may put on items ...
camping gear from a
Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited is a Canadian retail company which operates in the automotive, hardware, sports, leisure and housewares sectors. Its Canadian operations include: Canadian Tire (including Canadian Tire Petroleum gas stations a ...
, and removing a spy-camera that had been placed outside the ringleader's apartment door by the police.
He was sentenced to 2 years which was
already served, and released in May 2009 although a
DNA sample was taken and he was given 2 years
probation
Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration.
In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...
and a 10-year prohibition against owning weapons. The
publication ban
A publication ban is a court order which prohibits the public or media from disseminating certain details of an otherwise public judicial proceeding. In Canada, publication bans are most commonly issued when the safety or reputation of a victim o ...
was lifted after his guilt was determined.
John Doe #1
John Doe #1, who was 15 years old at the time of the arrest, was a Grade 10 student at
Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute
Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute (SLCI, Stephen Leacock, or Leacock) and John Buchan Senior Public School (JBSPS, John Buchan or Buchan) are two public middle and secondary schools in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The schools are owned and operat ...
in Toronto. He had converted to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
from
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
several years earlier, upsetting his mother.
He is said to have hung out with 19-year-old
Amin Mohamed Durrani Amin Mohamed Durrani is one of 17 people detained on June 2 and June 3, 2006, in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the 2006 Toronto terrorism arrests. He was 19 years old at the time of arrest, and living with his family in 10 Stonehill Court in Toron ...
. His math textbook was taken by police as evidence.
Sharing a room with his older brother, he was an avid soccer player, and hoped to grow up to become a
veterinarian
A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...
. He was often mentioning wanting a pet dog. He faked a school outing, as an excuse to attend a survival camp with another of the young offenders. He told his mother that he had nightmares and fears about deserting Islam, concerned that he would go to hell.
He was denied bail on June 27, 2006, but was granted bail for
C$15,000 on July 16, 2006 in another hearing, and was released to his parents.
All charges against him were dropped on February 23, 2007.
John Doe #2
John Doe #2, who was 17 at the time of the alleged incident, was a Grade 12 student at Stephen Leacock Collegiate in Toronto. He had recently converted to Islam from Hinduism, which resulted in fights with his parents, and his alleged prayer in secret.
He is said to have hung out with 19-year-old
Amin Mohamed Durrani Amin Mohamed Durrani is one of 17 people detained on June 2 and June 3, 2006, in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the 2006 Toronto terrorism arrests. He was 19 years old at the time of arrest, and living with his family in 10 Stonehill Court in Toron ...
. He was denied bail on June 27, 2007.
John Doe #3
John Doe #3 was also a student at Stephen Leacock Collegiate.
Other information
All four youths were held at the
Maplehurst Correctional Centre
Maplehurst Correctional Complex (french: Complexe Correctional de Maplehurst) is a correctional facility located in Milton, Ontario for women and men 18 years of age and older. It is a combined maximum security detention centre for remanded priso ...
in
Milton, Ontario
Milton (Canada 2016 Census, 2016 census population 110,128) is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Between 2001 and 2011, Milton was the fastest growing mun ...
, three were released on
bail
Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Bail is the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when required.
In some countries ...
in July 2006. Three youths, it is unclear if they are the same three, had all charges
stayed by September 2007.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young Offenders In 2006 Toronto Terrorism Case
21st-century Canadian criminals
Canadian male criminals
2006 Ontario terrorism plot