Canada's Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc, with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looking on, speaks during a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Oct. 14.Blair Gable/Reuters
In a joint action with the United States, Canada has declared Samidoun, also known as the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced the move Tuesday, while the U.S. Treasury Department issued a statement regarding its actions against the group, which it denounced as a “sham charity.”
In a posting on X, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that “Samidoun – a front organization that acts in association with terrorist groups like the PFLP – is now a listed terrorist entity in Canada and the United States,” referring to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. “That’s part of our joint work with the U.S. to expose terrorist activities and intercept their financing.”
Last week, the federal Conservatives pressed the Canadian government to take action against Samidoun, which recently organized a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Vancouver that was denounced by political leaders and civic organizations across the country.
The rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery, to mark the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, featured a masked speaker who told the gathering, “We are Hezbollah and we are Hamas!” – both listed as terrorist entities by Public Safety Canada. She also led the crowd in cheers of “Death to Canada, death to the United States and death to Israel!”
According to its website, Samidoun is an international network of organizers and activists that works to build solidarity with Palestinian prisoners and has chapters in Toronto and Vancouver.
Bradley Smith, an acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the U.S. Treasury Department, said in a statement that “organizations like Samidoun masquerade as charitable actors that claim to provide humanitarian support to those in need, yet in reality divert funds for much-needed assistance to support terrorist groups.”
“The United States, together with Canada and our like-minded partners, will continue to disrupt those who seek to finance the PFLP, Hamas, and other terrorist organizations.”
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Also targeted in Tuesday’s measure is Khaled Barakat, a member of Samidoun’s leadership described in the statement as a Canadian citizen whose fundraising and recruitment efforts “support its terrorist activity against Israel.”
Mr. LeBlanc said that listing the group as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code sends a strong message that Canada will not tolerate such activities and will do everything in its power to counter the continuing threat to the country’s national security.
The designation means it is a criminal offence for anyone in Canada or Canadians abroad to knowingly deal with property owned or controlled by the group. It is also an offence to directly or indirectly provide property knowing it will be used by or benefit a terrorist group. The statement added that the listing plays a role in countering terrorist financing. The Criminal Code also prohibits providing any financial services for the benefit of the designated group.
The U.S. designation imposes similar penalties. Non-U.S. financial institutions or individuals who engage in certain transactions or activities with sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or enforcement actions, according to the Treasury Department. Also, anyone subject to U.S. jurisdiction may be held civilly liable even if they didn’t know they were engaging in a transaction prohibited under sanctions.
Last week, Mr. LeBlanc, facing criticism from the Conservatives, said the government was awaiting guidance from national-security agencies before making a decision about the group.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs welcomed the federal decision, calling it “overdue” in a statement.
“Listing the group as a terrorist entity means they will no longer be able to use our streets as a platform to incite hate and division against the Jewish community,” Shimon Koffler Fogel, the centre’s president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. “This is a significant step toward ensuring the safety and security of Canada’s Jews.”
B’nai Brith Canada also praised the move by the federal government.
“By finally doing the right thing, Minister Dominic LeBlanc has taken a bold step to uphold Canadian values and national security,” David Granovsky, the human-rights group’s government relations director, said in a statement.
There are now 78 terrorist entities listed under the Criminal Code including al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Boko Haram, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force and the neo-Nazi Aryan Strikeforce group founded in Britain.
Samidoun did not respond to requests for comment sent through its website and by e-mail.
With a report from The Canadian Press