THE JOKER ADVOCATING ARABS' MURDER SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH ADVOCATING TERRORISM AND GENOCIDE

Montreal, November 18, 2015 — Law enforcement authorities have arrested a man who posted a threatening video on Youtube, wearing a Joker mask, vowing to kill “an Arab a week.” They should charge him with advocating genocide, advocating terrorism and making race-based death threats.

“The Criminal Code is clear and the Crown should act with unequivocal firmness,” said CRARR's Executive Director Fo Niemi.

Under s. 83.221(1) of the Criminal Code, every person who, by communicating statements, knowingly advocates or promotes the commission of terrorism offences in general ... while knowing that any of those offences will be committed or being reckless as to whether any of those offences may be committed, as a result of such communication, is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years.

S. 318(1) of the Criminal Code states that every one who advocates or promotes genocide is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years. “Genocide” means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy in whole or in part any identifiable group, namely killing members of the group; or deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction.

“We must prevent racist individuals who think they have the right to advocate or carry out violent acts against Arab or Muslim Canadians, or Canadians who appear Muslim and Arab, with impunity.”

“The police should charge this promoter of hate and violence with advocating terrorism and advocating genocide, among other things, and the Attorney General of Quebec should give consent to the genocide advocacy charge, as required by s. 318. As well, maximal penalty should be sought for race-based hate motivation, as allowed under the Criminal Code.”

“Quebec must send a strong message against racism, xenophobia and intolerance, because these acts are against our fundamental values and laws,” he said.