Zakaria Amara, a ringleader of the Toronto 18 plot, has been granted full parole. The Parole Board of Canada stated he no longer shows signs of extremist beliefs.
Zakaria Amara, identified as one of the ringleaders of the thwarted Toronto 18 terror plot, has been granted full parole. The Parole Board of Canada determined that Amara no longer showed "any signs of holding onto extremist beliefs or radical ideologies."
Amara, 41, had been on day parole with multiple conditions for four years. In a written decision issued Friday, a two-member panel noted that Amara undertook a process to deradicalize while incarcerated. The board stated he used his day parole "for its intended rehabilitative purpose," demonstrating "positive change, both in attitude and in behaviour."
According to the board, Amara was closely supervised during his day parole. His internet use, friendships, and relationships were monitored, with no reported safety concerns or breaches. The decision, which includes several redactions, indicates Amara plans to live in his own home and structure his time around a full-time job, attending a mosque, seeing his family, and engaging in "appropriate leisure activities."
Amara is barred from communicating with anyone involved in criminal activity, including other individuals arrested in the June 2006 anti-terrorist raids. He is also prohibited from coming into contact with anyone with extremist ideologies, except in his work as a consultant with a specialized program.
The conditions require him to continue participating in counselling and to be subject to financial monitoring, as well as restrictions on his phone and internet use.
The parole decision comes two decades after the dismantling of the homegrown plot. Amara and an accomplice recruited people for a group based on jihadist ideologies, planning to carry out terrorist acts to demand the withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan. The group splintered, with Amara taking the helm of a plot focused on building truck bombs targeting the Canadian Security Intelligence Services headquarters, the Toronto Stock Exchange building, and a military base.
Amara was arrested on the day bomb-making materials were delivered to a warehouse. He pleaded guilty to participating in a terror group with the intention of causing an explosion or explosions that were likely to cause serious bodily harm or death. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years, a sentence upheld on appeal.
The parole board document noted that Amara’s "problematic and extremist ideologies and attitudes" remained during his first few years behind bars, which included several incidents of misconduct. His ideology "began to shift" in 2014, and he was transferred to a medium-security institution in 2019, where correctional officers reported he was "respectful, polite and quiet." Amara was granted day parole for three months in 2022, which was extended several times.
This decision marks a significant milestone in the legal and correctional history of the Toronto 18 case, a major anti-terror operation in Canada. It highlights the Parole Board's assessment of individual rehabilitation progress, noting that Amara has "undertaken a process to distance yourself from extremist ideologies and others who share the same views" during his federal custody and community supervision.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
The day's checked news, by email
One short email a day with the top stories. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Or follow for the latest news:
No comments yet. Start the discussion.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck a military camp in southern Yemen with ballistic missiles, killing at least 53 recruits and wounding 200 others, according to local authorities.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck a Yemeni government military camp in Shabwa province with ballistic missiles, killing at least 53 soldiers and wounding 200 recruits.