Jewish advocacy organizations are expressing profound frustration and concern over the continued presence in Canada of Hassan Diab, a former Carleton University professor, who was convicted in absentia by a French court for his involvement in the 1980 bombing of a Paris synagogue. The attack resulted in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to 46 others.
On October 3, 1980, a bomb detonated outside the Rue Copernic synagogue in Paris during Shabbat services, marking the first fatal attack on the French Jewish community since World War II. The incident sent shockwaves through France and the global Jewish community, highlighting the persistent threat of antisemitic violence.
Hassan Diab, a Lebanese-Canadian sociology professor, was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2008 at the request of French authorities, who accused him of involvement in the bombing. Despite Diab’s consistent denial of the allegations and assertions that he was in Beirut at the time of the attack, he was extradited to France in 2014. After spending over three years in detention, French judges ordered his release in 2018 due to insufficient evidence, allowing him to return to Canada.
However, in 2021, the French Court of Cassation overturned the previous dismissal, leading to a trial in absentia. In April 2023, Diab was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Despite this conviction, Canadian authorities have not initiated a second extradition, allowing Diab to remain in the country.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the current situation. In a statement, CIJA emphasized the gravity of the crime and the importance of justice for the victims and their families, labeling the lack of action as an “abuse of process.”
Similarly, other Jewish organizations have voiced concerns that Canada’s inaction may set a concerning precedent regarding the prosecution of individuals accused of violent antisemitic acts.
Advocacy groups are urging the Canadian government to reconsider its position and facilitate Diab’s extradition to France to serve his sentence. They argue that upholding justice in this case is essential to demonstrate Canada’s commitment to combating antisemitism and supporting international efforts against terrorism.
Hassan Diab continues to maintain his innocence, asserting that he was not in France at the time of the bombing. His legal team and supporters argue that the evidence against him is flawed and that extraditing him would perpetuate a miscarriage of justice.
The case has sparked a complex debate in Canada, balancing the principles of justice for victims against concerns about the integrity of evidence and the rights of the accused. As the discourse continues, Jewish advocacy groups remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice for the victims of the 1980 synagogue bombing.