Convicted Paris Synagogue Bomber Lives Freely in Canada Amid Growing Outrage

[Social Media]

 

Hassan Diab, the man convicted in absentia for the 1980 bombing of a Paris synagogue, remains free in Canada, sparking outrage among Jewish advocacy groups and political leaders. Despite an international arrest warrant and a life sentence handed down by a French court, Diab continues to live in the suburbs of Ottawa, where he has been seen walking and biking in recent weeks.

 

 

Jewish organizations are condemning the Canadian government’s refusal to extradite Diab. “That Hassan Diab remains free in Canada is unacceptable,” said Richard Marceau, Vice President, External Affairs and General Counsel at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), in a statement to DailyMail.com. Critics argue that his continued presence in the country is a failure of justice, made worse by the fact that he was convicted of carrying out a deadly anti-Semitic attack.

 

 

On the evening of October 3, 1980, a powerful explosive device, hidden on a motorcycle, detonated outside the Rue Copernic synagogue in Paris, killing four people. French authorities identified Diab as a suspect years later, but he has always maintained his innocence, claiming he was taking university exams in Beirut at the time of the bombing.

 

 

Diab was arrested in Canada in 2008 but was granted bail while awaiting an extradition decision. In 2014, he was sent to France, where he spent three years in pretrial detention. In 2018, French prosecutors dropped the charges due to a lack of evidence, allowing him to return to Canada. However, the case took a dramatic turn when the Paris Court of Appeal reversed that decision in January 2021, ordering Diab to stand trial. He refused to return to France, and on April 21, 2023, he was convicted in absentia of terrorism charges and sentenced to life in prison.

 

Canada has so far refused to send him back to France, a decision made by the government of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. With a Canadian federal election expected this spring, political pressure is mounting for Diab’s extradition. Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has criticized the government’s inaction, writing on social media last November: “Why hasn’t he been extradited to France to face justice?”

 

Diab himself has acknowledged the uncertainty of his situation, telling a Canadaland podcast, “I just have to be careful. It’s like you are living in constant fear. It’s not easy, it’s like waiting for a ghost to appear from somewhere.”

 

Last year, Diab taught a course titled Social Justice in Action at Ottawa's Carleton University, using his extradition case in the class. B'nai B'rith Canada was one of the many Jewish groups that blasted Carleton University, in a statement posted on social media. 'We cannot stand by while a convicted terrorist, affiliated with a listed terrorist group, teaches on our campuses!

 

Jewish organizations and victims’ advocates insist that allowing a convicted terrorist to remain in Canada undermines the justice system. Marceau emphasized that Diab’s trial in France was fair, stating, “He was afforded every protection under French and European law and was found guilty by an independent court of law.” He further argued that failing to extradite him is “an abuse of process” and added,  'Justice must be upheld. At a time of rising anti-Semitism, allowing a convicted perpetrator of a deadly anti-Semitic attack to remain in Canada is indefensible. 

 

Based on a report by Daily Mail  2025-03-24

 

 

[Harrisfan]

4 minutes ago, Social Media said:

Canada has so far refused to send him back to France, a decision made by the government of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Liberals aiding terror

[hotsun]

Jews in the west should all just move to the US, which has a leader that clearly cares about them. The rest of the west is lost

[CanadaSam]

First of all, we DID extradite him once to face trial, where he was proven innocent by the courts, then he returned to Canada.

 

We can not just keep on shipping people back and forth according to wishes of any country, Canada HIGHLY values human rights.

 

You had your chance, France, now give it up.

[koolkarl]

 I can imagine no words can describe the embarrassment of being a Canadian.  Since Trudeau Sr., the country has gone straight down hill and

with the above, hit rock bottom. 

[NativeBob]

There are thousands of convicted criminals living happily in Israel. Any extradition demand always denied on the ground of "no extradition of Israeli citizens". 

The guy was proven innocent by French court, why did they call him a "bomber"? Strange indeed

[Purdey]

8 hours ago, Social Media said:

In 2014, he was sent to France, where he spent three years in pretrial detention. In 2018, French prosecutors dropped the charges due to a lack of evidence, allowing him to return to Canada.

This decision means he didn't do it and he was freed.

[Nick Carter icp]

1 hour ago, CanadaSam said:

First of all, we DID extradite him once to face trial, where he was proven innocent by the courts, then he returned to Canada.

 

 

 

   That isn't true . 

He wasn't proven innocent in Court 

[Nick Carter icp]

4 minutes ago, Purdey said:

This decision means he didn't do it and he was freed.

 

   Until you read the very next sentence 

 

"However, the case took a dramatic turn when the Paris Court of Appeal reversed that decision in January 2021, ordering Diab to stand trial." 

 

[Nick Carter icp]

42 minutes ago, NativeBob said:

There are thousands of convicted criminals living happily in Israel. Any extradition demand always denied on the ground of "no extradition of Israeli citizens". 

 

 

   What does that have to do with the thread topic ?

A Canadian allegedly bombed France .

Where does Israel fit into the topic ?

[MalcolmB]

10 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Where does Israel fit into the topic ?

They are the ones complaining about it. A bit rich if you ask me considering the current situation.

 

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

Jewish organizations are condemning the Canadian government’

 

[Nick Carter icp]

3 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

They are the ones complaining about it. A bit rich if you ask me considering the current situation.

 

 

 

  Malcom .

I cannot explain the difference to you between an Israeli and a Jew again.

You just wouldn't be able to understand .

   Due to your ignorance on the subject, it would be better if you refrained from commenting 

[Watawattana]

10 hours ago, Social Media said:

Diab was arrested in Canada in 2008 but was granted bail while awaiting an extradition decision. In 2014, he was sent to France, where he spent three years in pretrial detention. In 2018, French prosecutors dropped the charges due to a lack of evidence, allowing him to return to Canada. However, the case took a dramatic turn when the Paris Court of Appeal reversed that decision in January 2021, ordering Diab to stand trial. He refused to return to France, and on April 21, 2023, he was convicted in absentia of terrorism charges and sentenced to life in prison.

Looks like a legit reason to extradite him, even if it is for a 2nd time for the same offence.  What must the victim's families be thinking; the person proven to have committed the crime walking free?   

[Chomper Higgot]

Some background here:

 

https://www.alexneve.ca/blog/canada-must-put-a-stop-to-injustice-in-the-hassan-diab-case-once-and-for-all

[candide]

From what I read, his passport was found with entry/exit stamps in Spain around the time of the attack (the terrorists allegedly came from Spain). Diab claims he had lost it and that someone else used it. He also claims he was passing exams in Lebanon at that time.

[NedR69]

Soon, that’ll be old news when CA is #51.

[PomPolo]

5 hours ago, Purdey said:

This decision means he didn't do it and he was freed.

The decision didn't mean he didn't do it it just meant there was a lack of evidence that could be found, obviously a clever criminal.

[Tug]

16 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

Liberals aiding terror

Translation to facts he was extricated stood trial and was acquitted period all stop.just because you don’t like the outcome doesn’t mean anyone is aiding terror quire the opposite in fact the law was upheld he was tryed and acquitted no more no less.stop blubbering 

[Nick Carter icp]

51 minutes ago, Tug said:

Translation to facts he was extricated stood trial and was acquitted period all stop.just because you don’t like the outcome doesn’t mean anyone is aiding terror quire the opposite in fact the law was upheld he was tryed and acquitted no more no less.stop blubbering 

 

  He wasnt though , He didn't stand trial 

[Old Farang]

On 3/24/2025 at 7:03 AM, Social Media said:

 

Hassan Diab, the man convicted in absentia for the 1980 bombing of a Paris synagogue, remains free in Canada, sparking outrage among Jewish advocacy groups and political leaders. Despite an international arrest warrant and a life sentence handed down by a French court, Diab continues to live in the suburbs of Ottawa, where he has been seen walking and biking in recent weeks.

 

 

Jewish organizations are condemning the Canadian government’s refusal to extradite Diab. “That Hassan Diab remains free in Canada is unacceptable,” said Richard Marceau, Vice President, External Affairs and General Counsel at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), in a statement to DailyMail.com. Critics argue that his continued presence in the country is a failure of justice, made worse by the fact that he was convicted of carrying out a deadly anti-Semitic attack.

 

 

On the evening of October 3, 1980, a powerful explosive device, hidden on a motorcycle, detonated outside the Rue Copernic synagogue in Paris, killing four people. French authorities identified Diab as a suspect years later, but he has always maintained his innocence, claiming he was taking university exams in Beirut at the time of the bombing.

 

 

Diab was arrested in Canada in 2008 but was granted bail while awaiting an extradition decision. In 2014, he was sent to France, where he spent three years in pretrial detention. In 2018, French prosecutors dropped the charges due to a lack of evidence, allowing him to return to Canada. However, the case took a dramatic turn when the Paris Court of Appeal reversed that decision in January 2021, ordering Diab to stand trial. He refused to return to France, and on April 21, 2023, he was convicted in absentia of terrorism charges and sentenced to life in prison.

 

Canada has so far refused to send him back to France, a decision made by the government of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. With a Canadian federal election expected this spring, political pressure is mounting for Diab’s extradition. Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has criticized the government’s inaction, writing on social media last November: “Why hasn’t he been extradited to France to face justice?”

 

Diab himself has acknowledged the uncertainty of his situation, telling a Canadaland podcast, “I just have to be careful. It’s like you are living in constant fear. It’s not easy, it’s like waiting for a ghost to appear from somewhere.”

 

Last year, Diab taught a course titled Social Justice in Action at Ottawa's Carleton University, using his extradition case in the class. B'nai B'rith Canada was one of the many Jewish groups that blasted Carleton University, in a statement posted on social media. 'We cannot stand by while a convicted terrorist, affiliated with a listed terrorist group, teaches on our campuses!

 

Jewish organizations and victims’ advocates insist that allowing a convicted terrorist to remain in Canada undermines the justice system. Marceau emphasized that Diab’s trial in France was fair, stating, “He was afforded every protection under French and European law and was found guilty by an independent court of law.” He further argued that failing to extradite him is “an abuse of process” and added,  'Justice must be upheld. At a time of rising anti-Semitism, allowing a convicted perpetrator of a deadly anti-Semitic attack to remain in Canada is indefensible. 

 

Based on a report by Daily Mail  2025-03-24

 

 

 

[Old Farang]

Lucky he doesn't live in America, would be on the 1st Plane to Paris, 5555

 

[pegman]

On 3/24/2025 at 3:56 AM, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   What does that have to do with the thread topic ?

A Canadian allegedly bombed France .

Where does Israel fit into the topic ?

The OP talks of Jew outrage. They do not control the Canadian government. That is the country south of us. How about a little outrage for the 50,000 dead in Gazza? The international criminal court has a warrant out for the Israeli president for committing genocide. I would say that is a bigger priority.

[pegman]

On 3/24/2025 at 8:54 AM, NedR69 said:

Soon, that’ll be old news when CA is #51.

Canadian want nothing to do with those whack jobs

[Evil Penevil]

xxx

On 3/24/2025 at 12:15 PM, Tug said:

Translation to facts he was extricated stood trial and was acquitted period all stop.just because you don’t like the outcome doesn’t mean anyone is aiding terror quire the opposite in fact the law was upheld he was tryed and acquitted no more no less.stop blubbering 

 

On 3/24/2025 at 4:11 AM, NativeBob said:

The guy was proven innocent by French court, why did they call him a "bomber"? Strange indeed

 

On 3/24/2025 at 3:46 AM, CanadaSam said:

First of all, we DID extradite him once to face trial, where he was proven innocent by the courts, then he returned to Canada.

 

  Hassan Diab was never found not guilty in a French court. On the contrary, he has been convicted of murder in France.  He was extradited to France to stand trial for the synagogue bombing but the charges  were dropped and Diab was allowed to return to Canada.  Dropping charges has nothing to do with guilty or innocent.  It only means there wasn't enough evidence for the case to proceed at that point.  Later the charges were reinstated and Diab was tried and convicted  of murder in abstentia.  

 

Yes, indeed, a murderer is living freely in Canada despite his conviction for a heinous crime in a French court.

 

On 3/24/2025 at 4:11 AM, NativeBob said:

There are thousands of convicted criminals living happily in Israel. Any extradition demand always denied on the ground of "no extradition of Israeli citizens". 

 

Could you give an example of a convicted criminal "living happily" in Israel after the Israeli government refused extradition?  Since you say there are thousands, it shouldn't be hard for you to find one example.

 

 

6 hours ago, pegman said:

The OP talks of Jew outrage. They do not control the Canadian government. That is the country south of us. How about a little outrage for the 50,000 dead in Gazza? The international criminal court has a warrant out for the Israeli president for committing genocide. I would say that is a bigger priority.

 

Antisemitism runs thick in this thread.  The bombing of a synagogue in Paris in 1980 has no direct connection to Israel or the war against Hamas 45 years later.  Three of the four people killed in the synagogue bombing weren't Jewish, although all of the 46 injured  victims were.   How can a demand for justice for these victims be outweighed or offset by the number of dead in Gaza?  They are two totally separate cases.  

 

Only in the eyes of an antisemite is it possible to dismiss the outrage of Canadian Jews over the lack of punishment for a terrorist  attack in France in 1980 with reference to the Gaza war.  This goes to the heart of historical antisemitism, that all Jews are responsible for the action of some Jews, namely those who had Jesus crucified.  That has been the basis for hatred of Jews for more than 2,000 years.  In recent times, the religious aspect has faded and been replaced by blaming Jews for various injustices and crimes.  It's especially monstruous to insinuate Jews outside Israel somehow share responsibility for the actions of the Israeli government or that crimes against Jews are mitigated by those actions,  

 

To claim Jews control the U.S. government is the most ignorant form of antisemitism.

[Nick Carter icp]

 

9 hours ago, pegman said:

The OP talks of Jew outrage. They do not control the Canadian government. That is the country south of us. How about a little outrage for the 50,000 dead in Gazza? The international criminal court has a warrant out for the Israeli president for committing genocide. I would say that is a bigger priority.

 

    You are stating that Jews control the USA Government ?

You want sympathy and outrage for mass murdering war criminals Hamas ?

   I am quite confident that Netanyahu will not get found guilty of those charges , just like he didn't last time .

   BTW, there is only one Z in Gaza .

But once again, ALL your points are off topic