War crimes charges against Toronto man a first in Canada: RCMP

A Toronto man already facing terror-related and conspiracy to commit murder charges has become the first person in Canada to be charged with war crimes as a result of a national security investigation, the RCMP says.

Ahmed Eldidi, 62, who was previously charged back in July, is now charged with four war crimes-related offences, the RCMP said in a news release on Tuesday.

Eldidi faces the following charges under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crime Act:

• war crime of murder against a protected person in a non-international armed conflict
• war crime of mutilation against a protected person in a non-international armed conflict
• war crime of torture against a protected person in a non-international armed conflict
• war crime of outrages upon personal dignity against a protected person in a non-international armed conflict

The RCMP’s Central Region GTA Integrated National Security Enforcement Team laid the charges, the news release stated.

Police said the new charges against the Toronto man were laid “following the approval of a direct indictment.”

“This is the first National Security investigation where war crimes charges have been laid in Canada,” the RCMP said.

Eldidi appeared in court on Monday to answer to the new charges.

In July, Eldidi and his son, Mostafa Eldidi, 26, also of Toronto, were each charged with:

• participation in the activities of a terrorist group
• facilitating terrorist activity
• one count each of possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose
• conspiracy to commit murder

Those charges were laid after the RCMP arrested two men at a Richmond Hill hotel whom they believe were “in the advanced stages of planning a serious, violent attack in Toronto.”

RCMP Assistant Commissioner Matt Peggs said at the time federal investigators believed two men were knowingly engaged in terrorist activity in the Greater Toronto Area.

The investigation back in the summer reportedly revealed that two men were involved with the terror group ISIS prior to the arrests in Richmond Hill.

Peel Regional Police, Durham Regional Police, Toronto Police and the OPP were among other law enforcement agencies involved in that investigation.