A Toronto man faces the rare position of advocating the genocide, in addition to more than two dozen other offenses supposedly motivated by hatred towards the Jewish community, according to the police.
Amir Arvahi Aza, 32, was arrested on January 11 for incidents that took place between April 26, 2024 and January 3, 2025, Toronto Police said in a press release on Monday. Police said they cannot provide more details about alleged crimes due to a publication prohibition.
Azar faces 29 positions, including the deliberate promotion of hatred, which together with advocating the genocide, requires the consent of the Ministry of the Attorney General.
The charges have not been tested in court.
Hate crime expert, Barbara Perry, says that the police have an incredibly high bar to clarify by deciding whether to expose such charges.
“These charges tend to be reserved for the type of more serious and threatening crimes,” said Perry, who is the director of the Center for Hate, Best and Extremism at the Technological University of Ontario.
“There are a wide variety of factors that [law enforcement is] I’m going to be looking here, “he said.
“Are you really encouraging and inciting hatred towards others? Are you trying to foster hate and hostility towards, in this case, the Jewish community? How obvious is that language? What is the context? Where is it happening? Is it online? Is it offline”?
As the motivated crimes reports of hate are fired, Ioanna Roumeliotis de CBC explores how the Israel-Ahamas division develops in the streets of Toronto and obtains exclusive access to the Police Hate Crimes Unit to discover how it is responding.
The story shows that it is difficult to try those charges in court, Perry said.
From 2010 to 2020, 305 charges were processed for crimes related to the crime of hatred in Canadian courts, according to An internal study by the federal government, of which the deliberate promotion of hatred constituted 85 percent and advocating the genocide constituted only six percent. Of the 81 cases of hate crimes completed that decade, only 43 percent ended with a finding of guilt, according to the study.
Also accused of fire caused, other crimes
Chance of chance also includes public incitement, public incitation of hatred, criminal harassment, mischief to cultural property and crimes of multiple weapons.
Deputy Director Rob Johnson said the charges were the result of an investigation of months directed by the centralized unit of hate crimes.
“We know that these charges are very serious and that people are worried,” Johnson said in a video statement. “I want to assure everyone that we will continue doing our best to keep our communities safe.”
Azar was released after a bail audience on Monday, police said, with several conditions imposed, including house arrest with an ankle monitor.
You must return to the Court on April 28, said a spokesman for the Court of Justice of Ontario in an email.
Michelle Stock, vice president of the Center for Affairs of Israel and Jews in Ontario, says that his organization will monitor the case closely.
“We are encouraged to see police and crown prosecutors who defend the rule of law and take measures to hold people responsible for alleged motivated crimes of hatred,” he said in a statement sent by email.
“In a moment of growing anti -Semitism and hate, it is essential that the authorities demonstrate zero tolerance for those who cross the line in criminal conduct.”
