Supreme Court Refuses Via Rail Terror Appeal After 12 Years

The Supreme Court of Canada has declined to hear the appeal of Raed Jaser, who was convicted of planning to commit murder for the benefit of a terrorist group. This decision concludes a legal saga that began 12 years ago, involving charges against Jaser and Chiheb Esseghaier for plotting attacks, including the planned sabotage of a Via Rail passenger train to pressure Canada to withdraw its military from Afghanistan. Jaser was found guilty of three terrorism-related offenses, although a jury was deadlocked on the rail sabotage charge. The case saw multiple appeals, including an order for a new trial in 2019 due to jury selection issues, which the Supreme Court later ruled did not violate fair trial rights. Following the resolution of the jury issue, the Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed Jaser's challenges to his conviction and life sentence, leading to his final appeal application to the Supreme Court. The Court’s refusal to hear the appeal leaves Jaser's convictions and sentence in place.