One of Canada’s first convicted terrorists shows ‘no signs of de-radicalization’

A Moroccan terrorist convicted in Quebec almost two decades ago has been denied parole in a decision that said he had no remorse and continued to legitimize violence. Said Namouh, 52, remains a “significant, indeed concerning, risk,” despite having been behind bars since 2007, according to the Parole Board of Canada . In its ruling, the Board noted that “no signs of de-radicalization have been observed” in Namouh, who was sentenced to life in 2010 and faces deportation upon his release. While Namouh insisted he no longer believed in “jihad aimed at fighting injustice and oppression,” the Parole Board said it could not accept him at his word. The Board denied Namouh’s latest request for parole. The decision was handed down on Dec. 9. A redacted version was released to Global News on Friday. It is the latest parole decision to deal with Canada’s growing population of terrorism offenders , some of whom have not changed their extremist views while incarcerated. In one case, an ISIS supporter who conducted an attack in Toronto was released from prison only to be arrested again because she had vowed to strike once more when she was freed. A Toronto-area man who had completed his sentence for terrorism was similarly arrested again when Al Qaeda bomb and poison manuals were found on his phone. The Parole Board’s decision on Namouh comes amid heightened security concerns in Canada in the wake of the ISIS-inspired antisemitic attack in Australia. Get breaking National news Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy . On Friday, three Toronto men were charged with hate-motivated crimes targeting women and Jews. One was also charged with ISIS-related terrorism offences. Namouh was one of the first to be convicted under the anti-terrorism laws Canada enacted in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, Al Qaeda attacks in the United States. After immigrating to Canada in 2003, he joined the Global Islamic Media Front, an Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist group that produces propaganda and training manuals in several languages. In 2006, Namouh began working with GIMF operatives in Europe to threaten governments and plan attacks - specifically a suicide bombing. He believed in “ideas promoting violence in the name of your religion” and was “convinced that it was justified to give your life for jihad,” the Parole Board said. Police arrested him in 2007, and he was convicted of four counts of terrorism and sentenced to life, but he has was allowed to apply for parole after serving 10 years. At a parole hearing earlier this month, the Board said Namouh had refused to participate in a psychological risk assessment, which had determined he remained a “significant/concerning risk of violent recidivism.” The Board said he had received a warning from prison officials “related to the production of religious pamphlets” that were found in his cell, and he had been leading Muslim prayers in violation of rules. In reaching its decision, the Parole Board said it was not convinced Namouh had undergone “a genuine change in thinking”...

Preview: ~500 words