Seriously? Bail Given to Vicious Antisemitic Attacker

News Release

Man Charged with Advocating Genocide and 28 other charges in Hate Crime Investigation,
Willowdale Avenue and Parkview Avenue

 

The Toronto Police Service Hate Crime Unit has charged a man with 29 criminal offences, many of which are alleged to have been motivated by hatred toward the Jewish community.

With the consent of the Ministry of the Attorney General, two of these charges include Advocating Genocide and Wilful Promotion of Hatred—offences rarely laid in Canada.

All of the incidents are alleged to have occurred between April 26, 2024, and January 3, 2025.

Due to a court-imposed publication ban, we are unable to provide further details in this release.

On January 11, 2025, Amir Arvahi Azar, 32, of Toronto, was arrested. He has been charged with 29 criminal offences:

1. Advocate Genocide
2. Wilful Promotion of Hatred
3. Public Incitement of Hatred
4. Five counts of Arson
5. Two counts of Mischief Under $5000
6. Seven counts of Mischief to Cultural Property
7. Utter Threats
8. Criminal Harassment
9. Three counts of Possess Restricted or Prohibited Firearm Knowingly not holding a licence and registration certificate
10. Possess Firearm with Altered Serial Number
11. Possess Prohibited Device
12. Two counts of Possess Prohibited Weapon
13. Possession of Proceeds of Crime Over $5000
14. Possession of Credit Card Data
15. Possession of Forgery Instrument

The accused has been released following a bail hearing with several conditions imposed. He appeared at the Ontario Court of Justice, 10 Armoury Street, on Monday, March 17, 2025, at 10 a.m.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-3500, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

Toronto Police Service 

Toronto police say Amir Arvahi Azar was charged for 29 criminal offences following a months-long investigation by the centralized hate crimes unit. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)

"[The Toronto Police Service was able to lay these charges] because of the meticulous work of our centralized Hate Crime Unit."

"I would like to thank all of our members who worked tirelessly on this investigation over the span of many months."

"We know that these charges are very serious and that people are concerned. I want to assure everyone that we will continue to do everything we can to keep our communities safe."

TPS Deputy Rob Johnson

 A rare hate crime charge has been laid by Toronto Police Service against an accused synagogue attacker who had been caught with three loaded handguns and had been accused of an eight-month crime spree of vicious antisemitism. Toronto has been assailed, as has Montreal, Vancouver and other Canadian cities, with a series of vandalism against Jewish-owned businesses; synagogues have been fire-bombed, Jewish parochial schools have been shot at, and one of the criminals involved in these activities has been caught and charged. And then released on bail.

 

Charged with 29 criminal counts, 32 year old Amir Arvahi Azar has also been charged with "advocating genocide", a charge "rarely laid in Canada", Toronto police noted, under a section of the Criminal Code. Azar stands accused of five incidents of arson targeting Toronto Jewish sites, along with breaking windows, making telephoned threats, and posting a trail of online threats that met the threshold for criminal hate speech. 

Damage to Pride of Israel synagogue in Toronto on June 30, 2024 that was allegedly part of an antisemitic hate crime spree by Amir Arvahi Azar. B'nai Brith Canada

The property crimes he was responsible for, all occurring during the last eight months of 2024 -- were among an uptick unprecedented in the city's history in vandalism, arson and shooting attacks that targeted Canadian Jewish sites following the October 7 Hamas-conducted terrorist massacres in southern Israel that slaughtered 1,200 people, and abducted 250 infants, women and men for use as pawns in a later exchange of innocent civilians for Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails for criminal acts against Israelis.

 

Most notably, Azar stands accused of breaking large front windows of the Pride of Israel synagogue on June 30; one of two antisemitic attacks he perpetrated over the long Canada Day weekend. The other was windows broken at Kehillat Shaarei Torah Synagogue. From both sites security footage recorded a man on a motorcycle, his identity hidden by a full-face helmet. Kehillat Shaarei Torah had been targeted by vandalism, graffiti or arson in eight separate events since October 7. 

The general vicinity of a perennial anti-Israel demonstration at Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue attracted many of Azar's attacks, as an intersection thought of as the heart of the Toronto Jewish community. The gatherings at the intersection were rife with chants for 'intifada', and on one occasion a demonstrator cosplayed as Yahya Sinwar, former leader of the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza.

 

Along with charges for arson, criminal harassment, threats and mischief, Azar was charged with multiple gun charges including two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon. Materials for forging illegal credit cards were also found in his possession by police. Yet, despite the seriousness of these charges, more specifics of the case could not be provided as a result of a "court imposed publication ban", the police statement revealed, concluding that Azar "has been released following a bail hearing with several conditions imposed".

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks at a news conference at the Pride of Israel Synagogue in Toronto a few months after it was the target of vandalism, Oct. 10, 2024. Photo by Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press/File