Victims' lawyers and Canadian Jewish group call for Hassan Diab's extradition to France
Paris prosecutors and a Canadian Jewish organization are urging Canada to hand over Hassan Diab, convicted in absentia for the 1980 Copernic street bombing.
Legal representatives of the Copernic synagogue bombing victims and the Canadian Jewish advisory body are pressing Canadian authorities to extradite Hassan Diab to France. Diab, a Lebanese-Canadian scholar, was tried in absentia by a special Paris court and received a life sentence for the 1980 bombing that caused four deaths and many injuries. The Paris lawyer highlighted the victims' families' demand for extradition and questioned the French justice minister and president about the request's status.
The Canadian organization echoed the call, labeling Diab's continued freedom as unacceptable and demanding transparency from the Canadian government. While Canada can extradite on a case-by-case basis, officials note that Diab has not been employed by Carleton University since December 2024 and that his previous extradition in 2014 ended with a release after a non-prosecution decision in 2018.
Why it matters
The case tests Canada-France legal cooperation and the pursuit of justice for a historic terrorist attack.
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