Jewish groups applaud 20-year sentence for Ontario neo-Nazi on terror charges
Matthew Althorpe's actions were linked to at least six international terror attacks, including against the LGBTQ+ community in Slovakia and at a mosque in Türkiye
Jewish groups in Canada are applauding the 20-year sentence handed down Friday to an Ontario man on terrorism-related charges.
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice sentenced Matthew Althorpe to 20 years imprisonment for facilitating a terrorist activity, instructing others to carry out a terrorist activity and committing an indictable offence (willfully promoting hatred) for a terrorist group. He had pleaded guilty to all charges.
“He produced videos, images, publications, and posts on the social messaging application Telegram encouraging hate against minorities,” the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in a press release. “This was done in association with and for the benefit of the terrorist groups Atomwaffen Division and the Terrorgram Collective.”
Atomwaffen Division (AWD) is an international neo-Nazi terror group that originated in the United States but has since spread to the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and elsewhere, the RCMP said in a release in 2023 when Althorpe was arrested. “The group calls for acts of violence against racial, religious, and ethnic groups, police, and bureaucrats, to prompt the collapse of society.”
Police said the Terrorgram Collective is a group of Telegram channels that share neo-fascist ideology and that produce and share manuals on how to carry out racially-motivated violence.
In response to the sentencing, five Jewish organizations that provided community impact statements — the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism (ALCCA), B’nai Brith Canada, the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center — issued a joint statement.
“Today’s sentencing sends a powerful message: those who spread hate, inflict violence, and terrorize communities will be held fully accountable under the law,” the groups said. “This is especially critical in the wake of recent shootings at three Toronto-area synagogues and last week’s warning by the Integrated Threat Assessment Centre about the ‘realistic possibility’ of a violent extremist attack against the Jewish community.”
The groups noted that the threat posed by Althorpe was not only to the Jewish community.
“His hatred and violent extremism targeted all those who did not align with his grotesque ideology,” they said. “His actions not only fuelled neo-Nazi groups threatening Canadians, they were linked to at least six international terror attacks, including a shooting targeting the LGBTQ+ community in Slovakia and mass stabbing at a mosque in Türkiye.”
Althorpe’s defence lawyer had asked for a sentence of 12 to 14 years, even though he told Superior Court Justice Jane Kelly last fall that his client’s actions were “repugnant,” “despicable” and “absolutely wicked.” But he also said Althorpe was remorseful, had abandoned his racist views, and was drawn into a world of hate due to a difficult upbringing and undiagnosed mental health issues.
However, Kelly said in her ruling that the propaganda Althorpe created can never be erased and will continue to inspire more violent attacks, and that there is also concern that he may continue to harbour white supremacist ideology and has a risk of reoffending.
“Terrorists know that online hatred can lead to violence and that their words and images are weapons that can convert the minds of others and inspire them to commit violent acts,” said George Dolhai, Director of Public Prosecutions.
“These acts of violence are carried out to threaten, maim and kill in the service of ideologies that seek to destabilize societies through division and fear. Today’s sentence reflects Canadians’ collective condemnation and seeks to deter those who may be contemplating these crimes.”
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