Toronto 18 Ringleader Zakaria Amara Granted Full Parole After Deradicalization
Zakaria Amara, a ringleader of the Toronto 18 terror plot sentenced to life in prison for planning attacks on Canadian targets, has been granted full parole by the Parole Board of Canada after demonstrating deradicalization and positive behavioral changes during his incarceration and four years of day parole.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to Zakaria Amara, one of the ringleaders of the Toronto 18 terror plot, following a case review conducted last week. The decision was issued on Friday, nearly two decades after the group's plans shocked the country.
Amara, now 41, was arrested in June 2006 during anti-terrorist raids on the day bomb-making materials were delivered to a warehouse. He pleaded guilty to participating in a terror group with the intention of causing explosions likely to cause serious bodily harm or death. The group had planned attacks on targets including Parliament Hill, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service headquarters, the Toronto Stock Exchange building, a military base, and locations in Afghanistan. Amara was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.
According to the Parole Board, Amara undertook a process to deradicalize while incarcerated, with his ideology beginning to shift in 2014. The board found that he no longer showed signs of holding onto extremist beliefs or radical ideologies. Prior to being upgraded to full parole, Amara had spent four years on day parole under multiple conditions.
Under the terms of his full parole, Amara is barred from communicating with anyone involved in criminal activity, including other members of the Toronto 18 group. He must continue to participate in counselling and remains subject to financial monitoring as well as restrictions on phone and internet use.
Amara plans to live in his own home and structure his time around a full-time job, attending a mosque, seeing family, and engaging in appropriate leisure activities.