(JTA) — A Canadian academic who was released from prison in France, where he was suspected of bombing a Paris synagogue in 1980, will stand trial there after all.
France’s highest court, the Cour de Cassation, on Wednesday upheld the appeal by prosecutors against the 2018 release of Hassan Diab, a Lebanon native who became a Canadian citizen in 1993.
Diab had been extradited to France from Canada in 2014 in connection with the bombing on Rue Copernic that killed four people and injured 40, but was released due to evidence that he was in Beirut at the time. He has denied any connection to the attack, which has been tied to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist group.
The Cour de Cassation ruled that the evidence that led to his release is not sufficient for dropping the case against Diab “and can be taken into account in a trial.” The court did not say when the trial would begin.
Diab has been living in Canada since his release, according to Le Figaro.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
