October 15, 2024
OTTAWA – Following many years of relentless advocacy by B’nai Brith Canada, the Government of Canada on Monday listed Samidoun, a not-for-profit corporation based in this country, as a terrorist entity.
Canada’s decision to list Samidoun as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code was made in concert with the United States’ Department of the Treasury, which designated Samidoun as a “specially designated global terrorist” (SDGT) group on Monday.
“B’nai Brith has been campaigning for Canada to take this step for years,” said David Granovsky, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Government Relations. “By finally doing the right thing, Minister Dominic LeBlanc [Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs] has taken a bold step to uphold Canadian values and national security.”
Samidoun, also known as the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, has close links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which has been listed as a terrorist group for decades. Charlotte Kates, Samidoun’s international coordinator, was recently arrested for openly expressing support for the Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel at a rally in Vancouver, where she and her husband Khaled Barakat, a self-admitted senior member of the PFLP, live.
“This is a decisive blow against the forces of hate and extremism,” said Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy. “The links between Samidoun and the PFLP, a listed terror entity, have long been undeniable. Samidoun’s ability to operate in Canada enabled it to use our country as a platform from which to incite hatred and support terror.
“The listing of Samidoun sends a clear message that there is no place in Canadian society for those who foment hate and promote terrorism. Canadian authorities will now be able to hold those who have used Samidoun as a vehicle through which to support the actions of terrorists duly accountable.”
