Zakaria Amara
Encyclopedia
Zakaria Amara is one of 17 people detained on June 2 and June 3, 2006, in the Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
in the 2006 Toronto terrorism arrests. He was convicted for planning to have launched terrorist attacks against targets in southern Ontario and was believed to be one of the ringleaders.
The text of his guilty plea can be viewed at: http://www3.quicklaw.com/cgi-bin/LNC-prod/lnetdocf.pl?DOCNO=273 and http://scc.lexum.org/en/2011/2011scc6/2011scc6.pdf
. He married, moved into a basement apartment
with his in-laws
on Periwinkle Crescent, and enrolled at Humber College
where he was studying Electronics Engineering Technology
.
Described as "funny" and "sociable", he worked part-time as a Canadian Tire
gas station attendant to offset costs of his schooling. Amara was an Honour Roll student in high school and later dropped out of Ryerson University
.
. He grew tired with his lack of action and broke away from Ahmed’s group.
He had looked at websites which led investigators to believe he was trying to find instructions on bomb making.
In February 2006, Mubin Shaikh
reported to police that Amara had shown him a primitive detonator
he had built to be activated by cell phone. This led investigators to "gain access" to Amara's apartment and study the device. He is alleged to have brought Shareef Abdelhaleem
into his plot, giving him money. Abdelhaleem then gave C$2,000 to an unidentified police mole in the case
as a "downpayment" on 3 tonnes of ammonium nitrate which the mole claimed he would purchase.
s on the rooftops of nearby houses. Neighbours brought lawn chairs into their yards, made popcorn
and enjoyed watching the three-hour spectacle that entailed Amara's arrest to the end.
His solicitor, David Kolinsky, has claimed that Amara was mistreated by a prison guard, after being allegedly abused while being searched.
On September 19, 2006, Amara was denied bail in a Brampton
courtroom.
The charges include two counts of receiving terrorist training and participating in a terrorist group, one count of recruiting for a terrorist group and one count of intent to set off an explosion with the aim of causing bodily harm or great damage.
As a result of preferred direct indictment by the Crown Attorney on 2007-09-24, Amara was re-arrested and charged with knowingly instructing a person to carry out an activity for the benefit of a terrorist group.
On October 8, 2009, Amara pleaded guilty to two counts: "knowingly participating in a terrorist group and intending to cause an explosion for the benefit of a terrorist group".
Amara stated he had learned how to construct a fertilizer bomb over the internet and planned to use it on the Toronto Stock Exchange
. Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) officials say the type of bomb he was constructing could have killed hundreds after they reconstructed his techniques.
On January 18, 2010, Amara was sentenced to life
in prison. Mr. Justice Bruce Durno's decision is the stiffest punishment imposed in the terrorism conspiracy and also the stiffest punishment imposed to date under Canada's antiterrorism laws, which Parliament passed in the aftermath of al-Qaeda's 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States.
A week before his sentence Amara released a public statement apologizing for his actions and renouncing extremism.
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the 2006 Toronto terrorism arrests. He was convicted for planning to have launched terrorist attacks against targets in southern Ontario and was believed to be one of the ringleaders.
The text of his guilty plea can be viewed at: http://www3.quicklaw.com/cgi-bin/LNC-prod/lnetdocf.pl?DOCNO=273 and http://scc.lexum.org/en/2011/2011scc6/2011scc6.pdf
Life
As a child, Amara attended Meadowvale Secondary SchoolMeadowvale Secondary School
Meadowvale Secondary School is a part of the Peel District School Board in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.The school's staff are focused on preparing the students for university, college and the workplace. With a large student population, encouraging student engagement is a critical goal...
. He married, moved into a basement apartment
Basement apartment
A basement apartment is an apartment located below street level, underneath another structure—usually an apartment building, but possibly a house or a business. Rent in basement apartments is usually much lower than it is in above-ground units, due to a number of deficiencies common to basement...
with his in-laws
In-Laws
In-Laws is an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 2002 until January 2003. The series starred Bonnie Somerville, Jean Smart, Elon Gold, and Dennis Farina....
on Periwinkle Crescent, and enrolled at Humber College
Humber College
Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning is a polytechnic college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Humber offers more than 150 programs including: bachelor’s degree, diploma, certificate, post-graduate certificate and apprenticeship programs, across 40 fields of study. Humber serves...
where he was studying Electronics Engineering Technology
Electronics Engineering Technology
Electronics engineering technology is a field of study similar to electronic engineering.Electronic engineering technicians are trained to work with electronic equipment in a wide variety of high-tech forms, often assisting electronics engineers, and they generally maintain, repair, test, or modify...
.
Described as "funny" and "sociable", he worked part-time as a Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited is one of Canada's 60 largest publicly traded companies. The firm operates an inter-related network of businesses engaged in retailing hardgoods, apparel and petroleum as well as financial and automotive services, employing more than 58,000 people across Canada...
gas station attendant to offset costs of his schooling. Amara was an Honour Roll student in high school and later dropped out of Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
.
Terrorist Activities
Amara is considered one of the ringleaders in the plot and was originally close to Fahim AhmadFahim Ahmad
Fahim Ahmad is one of people convicted in the 2006 Toronto terrorism case. He was a ringleader in the group. He was 21 years old at the time of arrest, and married with two children.-Life:...
. He grew tired with his lack of action and broke away from Ahmed’s group.
He had looked at websites which led investigators to believe he was trying to find instructions on bomb making.
In February 2006, Mubin Shaikh
Mubin Shaikh
Mubin Shaikh was one of two informants for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in the 2006 Toronto Terrorism case, and moved on to become a paid Royal Canadian Mounted Police agent...
reported to police that Amara had shown him a primitive detonator
Detonator
A detonator is a device used to trigger an explosive device. Detonators can be chemically, mechanically, or electrically initiated, the latter two being the most common....
he had built to be activated by cell phone. This led investigators to "gain access" to Amara's apartment and study the device. He is alleged to have brought Shareef Abdelhaleem
Shareef Abdelhaleem
A database engineer, Muhammad Shareef Abdelhaleem is one of 17 people initially arrested in the 2006 Toronto terrorism arrests. He is alleged to have plotted coordinated bombing attacks against targets in southern Ontario.-Life:...
into his plot, giving him money. Abdelhaleem then gave C$2,000 to an unidentified police mole in the case
Second mole in Toronto terrorism case
A prominent Egyptian-Canadian Muslim, Shaher Elsohemy was paid $4 million dollars by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for his role in infiltrating the alleged terrorist plot in the 2006 Toronto terrorism case, although some have claimed he acted as an agent provocateur, their claim failed in...
as a "downpayment" on 3 tonnes of ammonium nitrate which the mole claimed he would purchase.
Arrest
The Mississauga apartment of the 20-year old Amara was surrounded by police, who positioned sniperSniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
s on the rooftops of nearby houses. Neighbours brought lawn chairs into their yards, made popcorn
Popcorn
Popcorn, or popping corn, is corn which expands from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Corn is able to pop because, like sorghum, quinoa and millet, its kernels have a hard moisture-sealed hull and a dense starchy interior. This allows pressure to build inside the kernel until an explosive...
and enjoyed watching the three-hour spectacle that entailed Amara's arrest to the end.
His solicitor, David Kolinsky, has claimed that Amara was mistreated by a prison guard, after being allegedly abused while being searched.
On September 19, 2006, Amara was denied bail in a Brampton
Brampton, Ontario
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada and the seat of Peel Region. As of the 2006 census, Brampton's population stood at 433,806, making it the 11th largest city in Canada. It is also one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, with an average...
courtroom.
Trial
Charged with four offences under Canada’s Anti-terrorism Act, Amara entered the courtroom smiling toward his mother, who sat twenty feet away.The charges include two counts of receiving terrorist training and participating in a terrorist group, one count of recruiting for a terrorist group and one count of intent to set off an explosion with the aim of causing bodily harm or great damage.
As a result of preferred direct indictment by the Crown Attorney on 2007-09-24, Amara was re-arrested and charged with knowingly instructing a person to carry out an activity for the benefit of a terrorist group.
On October 8, 2009, Amara pleaded guilty to two counts: "knowingly participating in a terrorist group and intending to cause an explosion for the benefit of a terrorist group".
Amara stated he had learned how to construct a fertilizer bomb over the internet and planned to use it on the Toronto Stock Exchange
Toronto Stock Exchange
Toronto Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Canada, the third largest in North America and the seventh largest in the world by market capitalisation. Based in Canada's largest city, Toronto, it is owned by and operated as a subsidiary of the TMX Group for the trading of senior equities...
. Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP) officials say the type of bomb he was constructing could have killed hundreds after they reconstructed his techniques.
On January 18, 2010, Amara was sentenced to life
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
in prison. Mr. Justice Bruce Durno's decision is the stiffest punishment imposed in the terrorism conspiracy and also the stiffest punishment imposed to date under Canada's antiterrorism laws, which Parliament passed in the aftermath of al-Qaeda's 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States.
A week before his sentence Amara released a public statement apologizing for his actions and renouncing extremism.