The three young men accused of having facilitated a terrorist activity in the Quebec region could not regain their freedom on Wednesday.
Marc-Aurèle Chabot, Raphaël Lagacé and Simon Angers-Audet, will have to remain in detention during the suite of legal proceedings, decided Judge René de la Sablonnière.
The co -accused did not display any expression by learning that they would remain behind the bar, after reading the decision that took more than an hour.
Relatives in the courtroom had a hard time holding back their tears. Several months could flow before a trial.
Marc-Aurèle Chabot
Photo taken from the Facebook page The Voltigeurs de Québec
Prescription
The investigation into the release of the three individuals was held for three days at the end of July.
At the request of the parties, all of the evidence and testimonies which have been heard is however struck by a non-publication order, so as not to contaminate a possible jury.
The Federal Crown opposed the release of the accused, among other things not to undermine public confidence towards the administration of justice, said prosecutor Me Gabriel Lapierre at the end of the hearing.
Raphaël Lagacé is one of the three individuals accused of facilitating a terrorist activity.
Photo taken from Raphaël Lagacé’s Facebook
Chabot and Angers-Audet, both aged 24, and Lagacé, 25, risk up to 14 years’ imprisonment if they are declared guilty of having facilitated a terrorist activity.
They are also targeted by several other charges relating in particular to the storage of firearms and the possession of prohibited devices.
The arrest of defendants, which are all closely or indirectly linked to the Canadian Armed Forces or to the military world, was made public by the Royal Gendarmerie of Canada on July 8. They have been detained since.
Portrait of Simon Angers-Audet dating from 2016.
Photo taken from Francis Angers-Rochon’s Facebook account
“Extremism”
In his press release, the federal police suspected them of having tried to “create an antigo -government militia” and called their alleged activities of “violent extremism of an ideological nature”.
The alleged facts would have taken place between the months of June 2021 and January 2024, in several regions, notably Quebec Montreal, as well as Petawawa and Rolphton in Ontario, according to the indictment.
A hearing was set in September to guide the next steps in the file.
A fourth suspect, Matthew Forbes, 33, was also accused of firearms in connection with this case. However, he is not suspected of terrorism.
The latter was released earlier in July under several conditions, including carrying a GPS bracelet at all times.