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A Toronto father and son charged this week with multiple terrorism-related offences denied in court Thursday that the son was involved in an alleged plot to carry out what the RCMP is calling a violent attack on the city.
Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, and Mostafa Eldidi, 26, appeared in the virtual court hearing in Newmarket, Ontario, on Thursday, dressed in standard orange jumpsuits.
They face nine charges in total, including one of conspiracy to commit murder for or on behalf of a terrorist group — namely ISIS, a militant Sunni Muslim organization.
When asked during the trial if he had anything else to say, Mostafa Eldidi replied through an interpreter that he was innocent.
“I just want to say that I have not done any of these accusations against me,” he said.
Later that day, the elder Eldidi repeated this statement during his own performance.
“My son Mostafa has no guilt in this matter,” he said, also through an interpreter.
Neither man has yet filed a formal request with the court.
RCMP Assistant Commissioner Matt Peggs first announced the charges against the pair at a press conference on Wednesday.
RCMP officials say they have prevented a terrorist attack in Toronto by arresting a father and son at a Richmond Hill hotel on July 28. The pair are believed to have been planning an attack on Toronto. CBC’s Tyler Cheese has the latest on the investigation.
The two were arrested on July 28 in a hotel room in Richmond Hill, Ontario, after a months-long investigation involving multiple police agencies, Peggs said.
The alleged attack is believed to be aimed at Toronto, RCMP Supt. James Parr said, though the exact nature of the threat is under a publication ban. Parr said there is no ongoing danger to city residents.
The pair also face weapons charges for possessing an axe and a machete, which they had with them at the hotel when they were arrested, Parr said.
“As you know, they were accused of having certain weapons. In other words, we’re pretty sure how close they were to going from simply having those tools to carrying out that threat,” Parr said when asked what kind of attack the pair were allegedly planning.
On Thursday, the court heard that the Crown is contesting bail for both men.
The justice of the peace presiding over the hearing also told the elder Eldidi that he faces a bail hearing with the burden of proof “reversed.”
This means that, because of the more serious charges against him, the burden of proof is on the defendant to show why he should be released on bail, rather than on the prosecution to show that he should remain in custody.
The court also imposed a non-communication order on the father and son, which means they are not allowed to contact each other, except through lawyers, to defend themselves.
According to the court, neither man has a lawyer, but a referral has been made for legal aid.
Both men will appear in court again on August 7.
