Concordia Bomb Hoax Suspect Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison

Saadi Was Responsible for Bomb Hoax at the University Last March

NewsIreland Compton — Published October 5, 2018

The final sentence concludes Saadi will spend 18 months in prison, followed by three years probation.

Saadi was convicted on counts of mischief, uttering threats, and inciting fear of a terrorist related attack this past June, with the maximum sentence for this set at five years.

During Saadi’s sentencing on Sept. 24, prosecutor François Allard said that he believed Saadi should receive a sentence of 30 months in prison, according to _The Gazette_. This is in stark contrast to Saadi’s lawyer’s claim that the media coverage of the event sent enough of a message to the public in her request that his sentence be served on house arrest.

Quebec Court Judge Mélanie Hébert and the jury agreed upon the notion that Saadi had issues with taking responsibility for his actions and the consequences they brought forth.

Hébert brought forth several examples of this difficulty, mentioning that Saadi blamed his professor for his actions, as he refused to push back the date of the exam he was required to take when the bomb threats were sent.

Hébert continued to describe his actions, stressing the fact that Saadi did not make the decision to send the threats on a whim. His actions were premeditated, carefully researched for maximum effect, as proven by his search history obtained by the court. That search history revealed he had gone to great lengths to create a false email account, researched lists of white nationalist organizations, and searched for “how to lift fingerprints,” so as to cultivate maximum credibility and ensure his security in sending the threats.

Hébert said Saadi’s motivation was to avoid failure, and set out to attack on Concordia by targeting Muslim students at Concordia’s Muslim Student Association. She felt that he exploited the fears and prejudices of the population for his own personal gain, something that needed to be denounced.

Hébert said she felt as though these actions could not go unpunished, and recognized that despite his history of mental illness, Saadi must be held accountable for his actions.
Once Saadi is on probation he must meet certain conditions set by the jury. Within 72 hours of his release, Saadi must report to a probation officer, with whom he must follow up with for a period of 18 months.

He will also need to follow up with a psychiatrist. Saadi must take all medication prescribed to him in the correct dosage, something he claims he failed to do prior to sending the threats. He admitted to having taken triple his dosage of antidepressants and antipsychotics, in addition to medication he took to enhance his concentration.

The final stipulations of his sentencing state that he shall remain 200 metres away from Concordia at all times, the only exceptions being if he is travelling in a moving metro car, which passes beneath the university’s downtown campus, and if he is travelling to his family doctor, located 500 metres from the school.