Canadian Professor Convicted in 1980 Paris Synagogue Bombing Case

A Canadian academic, Hassan Diab, has been sentenced to life in prison in absentia by a French court for a 1980 bombing of a Paris synagogue that killed four people. Diab, who has maintained his innocence, was accused of planting explosives on a motorcycle that detonated near the synagogue. His supporters argue that he is a victim of mistaken identity and that the French case relied on secret intelligence and faulty handwriting samples. It remains unclear if Canada will agree to Diab’s potential extradition, but Canadian human rights advocates have called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to refuse any requests from France.