"Evidence presented in court made it clear that, at best, the man was a minor character in the group. No matter how minor his role, though, the evidence presented in the case presents a broad picture of the months leading to the raids, which, the police said, were timed to prevent the group from acquiring fertilizer to create bombs. The evidence was so broad that a court order prevents the publication of the identities of other people described in it to avoid prejudicing later trials. There was no evidence offered directly linking the defendant to the bomb plot or plans to storm Parliament. Instead, most of the case focused on his attendance at two camps that the police described as terrorist training sessions but that prosecution witnesses characterized as recreational or religious retreats. Both were videotaped by a paid police informant who was part of the group and who testified that he choreographed some of the scenes."

Ian Austen (New York Times - 9/25/08)

PIP Press Conference (Sept. 24/08)

PIP had a press conference recently at Queen's Park. View the information by clicking on the link below.

(8/24/08) Presumption of Innocence Project - Press Conference
 

At Canada Terror Trial, the Accused Take on a Less Sinister Cast

(New York Times - 9/24/08) From the first terrifying charges outlined by prosecutors to the gritty, often comically deflated details that have emerged in court, the case of the Toronto 18 seems to fit a well-established pattern in terrorism prosecutions. Whether the result of trumped-up charges, conflicting demands of intelligence agencies or difficulties of trying cases where evidence is withheld by governments looking to protect their sources and methods, numerous terrorism trials in the United States and Europe have similarly foundered over the years. Continue reading ...

UNFAIR DEALING

NEW FILM VINDICATES TORONTO TERROR SUSPECTS; ALLEGES ENTRAPMENT BY RCMP

Shocking facts about alleged "homegrown terrorism" in Toronto are revealed for the first time in a new and independent documentary. The film examines the ongoing case of 18 mostly Muslim Canadians. Watch here

The Informant, Mubin Sheikh

Mubin Shaikh stepped outside his apartment, lit a fresh cigarette, and peeled back the plastic lid on his Tim Hortons coffee(medium, with four creams and four sugars). A black toque covered his ears from the February cold, and a pair of camouflage hunting pants stuck out from underneath his beige, knee-length Islamic robe. "A disaster has been prevented," he said, standing on the front stoop outside his building. "I would have had to turn over my passport and find a new place to live, because it would be over for the Muslims in Canada. It would be over." Continue reading ...

The Four-Million Dollar Rat

The RCMP paid a civilian informant more than $4 million to help execute the sting operation that brought down a group of alleged terrorists in Toronto last summer, Maclean's has learned. The undercover mole, a well-known member of the city's Muslim community, was hired by the Mounties just weeks before the shocking arrests -- and only after some shrewd negotiations over his compensation. In fact, the 28-year-old businessman originally demanded more than $15 million for his covert services, arguing that he and his family deserved a "comfortable lifestyle" when the operation was over. The RCMP managed to talk him down, and both sides eventually settled on a deal worth at least $4.1 million -- including $900,000 for a new house, $250,000 for his parents, and $40,000 to cover his wife's dental bills. Continue reading ...