A delivery driver from Toronto, previously accused of brutally dismembering a prisoner in Iraq nearly ten years ago, has become the first individual in Canada suspected of ISIS involvement to be brought up on war crimes charges, according to legal experts.
Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, an ex-Amazon driver originally from Egypt, is facing four charges under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, as outlined in an indictment filed in an Ontario court. These charges, which include torture and murder, stem from alleged incidents that transpired in 2014 and 2015, during ISIS’s peak.
Three years after these alleged incidents, Eldidi migrated to Toronto and was granted refugee status. He is currently a Canadian citizen. Last summer, Global News reported that Eldidi was purportedly featured in a 2015 ISIS video, where he was seen dismembering a prisoner with a sword.
The Public Prosecution Service of Canada has confirmed these charges against Eldidi, marking a first for the country, as noted by Prof. Michael Nesbitt, a leading expert on national security law at the University of Calgary law school. He emphasized that the Canadian prosecution service has never previously utilized the war crimes act against suspects accused of crimes committed in ISIS-controlled territories.
Eldidi was previously charged with aggravated assault related to the alleged incident in Iraq, as well as terrorism charges linked to a purported disrupted ISIS attack plot in Toronto. However, more severe war crimes charges have been filed against Eldidi six months later, alleging that the 62-year-old committed mutilation and violated personal dignity during an armed conflict.
These allegations have raised concerns about potential shortcomings in Canada’s immigration security screening system. The government has defended its actions but is currently reviewing the matter.
The number of ISIS-related investigations has significantly increased across Canada, with 20 suspects arrested this year and last, compared to just two in 2022. Authorities and experts attribute this surge in ISIS activity to the terror group’s resurgence following its 2019 defeat in Syria, with young individuals driving the increase.
