Canada’s Immigration Minister Considers Revoking Citizenship of Terrorism Suspect.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced plans to investigate whether Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, a man accused of plotting a terror attack in Toronto, should have his Canadian citizenship revoked.
Eldidi, 62, and his son, Mostafa Eldidi, 26, were arrested in Richmond Hill, Ontario. They face nine terrorism charges, including conspiracy to commit murder for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) revealed the charges on July 31, stating that the two men were “in the advanced stages of planning a serious, violent attack in Toronto.” Ahmed Eldidi, a Canadian citizen, also faces a charge of aggravated assault outside Canada.
At a news conference in Church Point, Nova Scotia, on Wednesday, Miller emphasized the need for transparency. “I think Canadians deserve answers. I’m going to get to the bottom of it,” he stated. He also mentioned he would begin preliminary work to assess whether the elder Eldidi’s citizenship should be revoked.
Under federal law, Canada can revoke citizenship if a person obtained it through false information or by concealing important facts.
Many questions about the Eldidis remain unanswered. The government is not commenting on their status in Canada due to privacy laws. However, Miller has instructed his deputy minister to create a timeline explaining how Ahmed Eldidi became a citizen.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced last week that both his department and the immigration department are conducting an internal review of the case. The extent of information that will be released following the review remains uncertain.
“I’m as disgusted as any Canadian, but I have a responsibility to get to the bottom of it, and I will,” Miller said. He added, “The information that I can share in the context of criminal proceedings may be limited, but I want to ensure that Canadians are safe and that we do not compromise an ongoing court case.”