Carleton University in Ottawa employs a Lebanese sociology professor, Dr. Hassan Diab, who was convicted by a French court for his involvement in a deadly 1980 bombing in Paris, despite his active international arrest warrant.

According to Breitbart, Dr. Hassan Diab currently teaches "Social Justice in Action" at Carleton University, even though he faces a life sentence in France for a terrorist attack that killed four and wounded 46.

In 1980, a devastating explosion rocked the Rue Copernic synagogue in Paris, marking the first attack against Jews in France since World War II. The attack claimed four lives and injured 46 individuals. Early investigations pointed towards neo-Nazis, but it was later concluded that the perpetrator was linked to the Middle East.

By the end of 1980, French prosecutors had redirected their investigation toward potential suspects from the Middle East after discarding their initial neo-Nazi theory. The turning point in the French investigation came when they suspected Dr. Diab of constructing and planting the bomb as part of a broader, yet unidentified, cell.

Evidence Against Dr. Diab: Passport and Signature Scrutiny

French authorities based their allegations on evidence including a passport bearing stamps detailing travel around the attack's timeframe and a contentious signature on a hotel registration form. Dr. Diab's name first emerged in connection with the attack in 1999, nearly two decades after the bombing. He was extradited from Canada to France in 2014, following years of judicial proceedings.

Despite being extradited, Dr. Diab spent three years in French custody until the case was dismissed for insufficient evidence in 2018. However, this dismissal was short-lived as the case was reopened and escalated to France's Supreme Court, which upheld the conviction in 2021.

Diab's Legal Battle and Conviction

In April 2023, Dr. Diab was tried in absentia and found guilty of terrorism charges, which resulted in a life sentence. At the time of his conviction, he was 70 years old. Following his conviction, France issued an international arrest warrant for his apprehension.

Despite these serious charges and ongoing legal battles, Dr. Diab returned to Canada in 2018. He resumed his academic career at Carleton University in Ottawa, where he has been a faculty member since 2006. His continued employment at the university has been a subject of substantial controversy.

University's Defense and Public Outcry

Carleton University has consistently supported Dr. Diab, positing that he was unjustly accused, which has sparked significant on-campus activism emphasizing his asserted innocence. Nonetheless, this stance has been met with strong backlash from the community and victims' families.

"Dr. Diab is not just one of those radical university professors with some dark business in his distant past – he is an active fugitive from international justice," stated an unattributed quote highlighting the gravity of the situation. The employment of Dr. Diab at Carleton University has provoked fierce criticism from multiple fronts.

Responses from Victims' Families and Organizations

The sons of Aliza Shragir, one of the victims of the 1980 bombing, expressed profound dismay and disapproval towards Carleton University's decision to retain Dr. Diab, stating, "It’s outrageous that an academic institution that is supposed to promote values of equality and justice decided to employ a cold-blooded murderer, who was unanimously convicted in a court in France." They further criticized the university, suggesting that Diab's past actions seemingly do not conflict with the institution's values.

Furthermore, Idit Shamir, Israeli consul general in Toronto, condemned the university's actions as a "failure of justice" and an affront to the memories of the victims. B’nai Brith Canada echoed these sentiments, describing it as "deeply disturbing" that the university had disregarded calls to terminate Diab's employment.

In conclusion, Dr. Diab's case and his position at Carleton University continue to evoke significant debate and opposition, underscoring complex issues of justice, academic freedom, and the responsibilities of educational institutions.