The three -men of Quebec linked to the army and accused of terrorism will remain detained for several days. A fourth, accused of least crimes, will be released while waiting for his trial.
Marc-Aurèle Chabot and Simon Angers-Audet, both 24 years old, and Raphaël Lagacé, 25, appeared virtual on Monday at the Quebec courthouse. The three accused would have liked to take possession by the force of a territory north of Quebec and create an anti -government militia, according to the Royal Gendarmerie of Canada (RCMP).
The prosecution requested two days for the holding of a release survey of the three men, who will once again appear, this time, in the presence, on July 24 and 25. They remain detained in the meantime. The public prosecutor opposes their release.
The fourth suspect, Matthew Forbes, 33, is accused of illegal possession of weapons, explosives and military equipment. He will be released in the coming days on condition of staying at home and carrying a GPS bracelet at all times, decreed judge Josée Lemieux in the morning at the Quebec Palais of Justice.
“In terms of offenses related to terrorism, it is up to the applicant to demonstrate that detention is not necessary,” said in press melee Gabriel Lapierre, prosecutor of the pursuit, to justify the release of Forbes.
The 33 -year -old soldier is a bomber in the 5the Light artillery regiment, the equivalent of a corporal in other army units. He enlisted in 2016 and had been sent on a mission in 2019 as part of the Reassurance operation, which took place in Latvia, Romania, Iceland and Lithuania, and the Cadénce operation, during the G7 summit in Charlevoix, in 2018.
Like Forbes, Chabot is an active member of the army and is based in Valcartier, in the Quebec region. Angers-Audet was a reservist, then soldier, from 2019 to 2022. Lagacé is the only one who did not have been a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. He is a former civil instructor for air cadets.
Weapons would not come from the army
Impassive and polite, the four men all welcomed judge Lemieux and answered the affirmative – in the military way – to his questions, in a crowded room of the courthouse with family members, some army officers as well as several journalists. They appeared from prison, where they have been detained since their arrest on July 8.
Asked if he understood the conditions for his release, Mr. Forbes even reported an oversight to Judge Lemieux. “The RCMP has also forgotten an ammunition at my home during the search,” said the one who is the father of two children.
Photo provided by the RCMP
Weapons seized by the RCMP
« [Depuis leur arrestation]these individuals did not exercise military functions and do not have access to the military base without escort, “the Ministry of National Defense confirmed on Monday, by press release, before adding the case” very seriously “.
During a search in January 2024, the RCMP seized more than 80 firearms, 16 explosive devices, more than 10,000 ammunition and 130 chargers. Also according to the ministry, these weapons, ammunition and explosives did not come from the army.
Forbes will appear again on September 12. By then, he is forbidden to communicate with the other three accused, carry or have any weapon, even replicas of firearms. He must also hand over his military passport. The mother and the spouse are committed to paying $ 20,000 each on deposit. If the accused does not meet the conditions for his release, he will have to pay $ 20,000.