FIRST SENTENCE FROM "TORONTO 18"-- 2.5 YEARS, TIME SERVED

UNCLAS TORONTO 000106 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O.12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PTER CA SUBJECT: FIRST SENTENCE FROM "TORONTO 18"-- 2.5 YEARS, TIME SERVED Ref: (A) 08 Toronto 85 (B) 08 Toronto 286 ¶1. (U) On May 22, an Ontario Superior Court sentenced the first man convicted in the "Toronto 18" terror plot to two and a half years in prison and 3 years probation. The Toronto-area man, who has already been in police custody for three years, was credited for time served and is expected to be released soon. ¶2. (U) The man, who was a minor at the time of arrest and has not been identified publicly, was arrested as part of the "Toronto 18" terrorist plot in 2005. The group was accused of planning a series of bombings in Toronto and a raid on Parliament Hill. In March 2008, he was the first of the "Toronto 18" suspects to be tried. He pled not guilty but in September 2008 an Ontario Superior Court found him guilty of taking part in a terrorist organization, making this the first conviction under Canada's Anti-Terrorism Act. ¶3. (U) Other terms of the sentence include submitting a DNA sample and a 10-year weapons ban. He has also been ordered not to apply for a passport. The court still has to rule when it intends to release his name, since he was tried as an adult. Saad Khalid, who pled guilty to his involvement in the "Toronto 18" group, is expected to be sentenced in June. Charges were dropped against seven of the original 18. The nine remaining suspects in the case await trial. NAY