Man faces rare charge of advocating genocide against Jewish community, Toronto police say [Video]

A Toronto man is facing the rare charge of advocating genocide, in addition to more than two dozen other offences allegedly motivated by hatred toward the Jewish community, police say.

Amir Arvahi Azar, 32, was arrested on Jan. 11 for incidents that took place between April 26, 2024 and Jan. 3, 2025, Toronto police said in a news release Monday. Police said they are unable to provide further details about the alleged crimes due to a publication ban.

Azar faces 29 charges, including wilful promotion of hatred, which together with advocating genocide, requires the consent of the Ministry of the Attorney General.

The charges have not been tested in court.

Hate crime expert Barbara Perry says law enforcement has an incredibly high bar to clear when deciding whether to lay such charges.

“These charges tend to be reserved for the most serious, the most threatening kind of crimes,” said Perry, who is director for the centre on hate, …