A trial that will test Canada’s definition of ‘terrorism’
Posted September 11, 2023 7:14 am.
In today’s Big Story Podcast, on June 6, 2021, the beloved Afzaal family of London, Ont., were out for a walk, when they were hit by a speeding truck that killed four of them. Police allege that the perpetrator acted intentionally, motivated by a hatred of Muslims, and have charged him not just with first-degree murders, but also acts of terrorism.
This week, Nathaniel Veltman’s trial begins, and it will be closely watched to see if prosecutors can prove to a jury that far-right, white supremacist ideology motivated the attack, and if that indeed qualifies as ‘terrorism’ in Canada.
Wendy Gillis is a crime reporter who will be covering the trial of the man accused of murdering the Afzaal family. She says this case is part of a broader shift in the way the legal system defines terrorism.
“We are starting to see a broadening of the definition of terrorism, and this case is going to be central in terms of testing that,” says Gillis.
So what will the court hear? And what might the outcome mean for Canadian Muslims, and the justice system?
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