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Quebec man pleads guilty to 3D printing guns and promoting hatred against Jews

The 37-year-old Quebec man arrested last summer and charged with 3D printing firearms and hate speech against Jews has pled guilty in Quebec court.

Pascal Tribout of Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, a small town northwest of Montreal, was arrested and charged in June following a months-long RCMP investigation that resulted in his arrest, along with the seizure of a large quantity of 3D printers, materials and a homemade firearm.

According to Lac des Deux-Montagnes Police, Tribout’s apartment was full of equipment for building firearms, with abundant materials, weapons and machinery discovered when they raided his home in February of this year.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing and distributing “computer data relating to firearms or prohibited devices that can be used with a 3D printer,” the first Canadian to plead guilty to the new provision. Tribout also pled guilty to willful promotion of hatred.

He has remained in custody since his arrest in June.

Tribout had spread conspiracy theories on the social media platform Telegram, suggesting that Jews orchestrated the COVID pandemic as a hoax to target the population through vaccines. The court heard that, on an antisemitic online forum, he told an undercover RCMP officer that he supported the idea of death squads to execute Jews and wanted to commit the “perfect crime.”

Tribout also boasted that his weapons could resemble paintball guns and were easily destroyed and reduced to just “pieces of plastic,” and shared images of the weapon, along with instructions and plans to print guns.

Investigators with the RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement team found more than two dozen printed weapon frames for pistols and semi-automatic rifles, along with a prohibited magazine, Nazi propaganda materials and 3D-printed bladed weapons. Following ballistics tests and inspections by police, the weapon frames were discovered to be not readily functional and easily broken during handling, resulting in an agreement for a plea to the lesser charge of “attempting” to manufacture a prohibited firearm.

Equipment for printing 3D guns, found inside Pascal Tribout’s home. (Credit: RCMP)

Quebec prosecutors sought a five-year prison sentence. Tribout returns to court in April, where he is also expected to apologize to the Jewish community, the result “a major victory against hate in Canada,” B’nai Brith Canada wrote on social media.

“This fellow’s online activities were brought to our attention,” Henry Topas, regional director for Quebec and Atlantic Canada, told The CJN. “And as we have done in other such files, we prepared our own file and brought it to the appropriate hate crimes unit based on what was being said online.” The file first went to Laval police, which then escalated the case to the RCMP, “and the next thing we knew, he had been arrested.”

“We feel we’ve done the community a great service,” said Topas, who also filed a community impact statement with the court, “and hopefully we won’t have to bring such cases again, but that’s probably wishful thinking.”

That statement included a reminder that Jews are the most targeted minority in Canada: “When B’nai Brith Canada learned of Pascal Tribout’s arrest, we were struck by the seriousness and magnitude of the charges against him. Not only is he alleged to have fomented hatred against the Jewish community, but he is also accused of acting on that hatred by setting up a laboratory to produce weapons.

“For the Jewish community of Montreal, which after the Holocaust in Europe became a haven for survivors to rebuild their lives, this dual threat of hatred and the potential for violent action raises horrific fears. Montreal is still home to some elderly survivors and their descendants who bear the scars of their parents and grandparents.

“These scars, combined with the violence we now see on our streets and campuses, make it all the more necessary for the justice system, the last bastion of hope for the community, to stand up and act in the face of these threats,” it continues. “We believe that the sentence handed down must be strictly exemplary and send a clear message to both the accused and his potential accomplices that these types of actions and behaviors will not be tolerated in our country.”

Hatred Elsewhere in Quebec

Meanwhile, an unidentified man from Rivière-du-Loup, 200 km east of Quebec City, was arrested on Dec. 11 for posting hate speech on Telegram and X (formerly Twitter).

According to the RCMP, the 19-year-old individual allegedly posted hundreds of hateful messages in recent months, targeting Jewish communities and sexual minorities in particular.

The man had been previously arrested last February for similar offences, including posting hundreds of hateful messages online since July 2023. He was not charged, but interrogated and released with police-imposed conditions. There are no Jews living in Rivière-du-Loup, whose population numbers approximately 30,000, according to the 2021 census.

The man has not been identified by police because some of the offences were alleged to have occurred when he was a minor. Despite his previous arrest, he continued his illegal activities online, according to an RCMP statement.

RCMP Corporal Martina Pillarova told The CJN, “The postings were threatening violence,” but could not provide any further details, adding this is the first time the young man has been charged.

The man is facing charges in three cases in youth and adult court for willfully inciting hate against identifiable groups—including Jews, racialized persons and the LGBTQ community—and promoting antisemitism by condoning, denying or downplaying the Holocaust. The offences occurred between June 1, 2023, and Dec. 11, 2024.

He pleaded not guilty, was released on bail with condition, and will return to court on Dec. 20 in Rivière-du-Loup.

Topas recalled B’nai Brith Canada’s 2023 annual audit of antisemitic incidents, and what he called “the exponential rise” in online hate. With almost 16 antisemitic incidents occurring every day in Canada, double from the prior year, online harassment was up 137 per cent. “One reading of this is that many people who spend time texting and emailing each other, rather than speaking, they are also feeling some sense of false liberty to sit there in their basement and spew hatred instead of physical harm—neither of which are acceptable.”

The post Quebec man pleads guilty to 3D printing guns and promoting hatred against Jews appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.

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Mounting Evidence Reveals Al Jazeera ‘Journalist’ Anas Al-Sharif’s Extensive Hamas Ties

Journalists and media workers protest after Al-Jazeera personnel killed in Gaza, in Barcelona, Spain, Aug. 13, 2025. Photo: Marc Asensio/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect

Evidence has emerged that Anas al-Sharif, one of Al Jazeera Arabic’s most prominent correspondents in Gaza, may have operated as a political operative for Hamas prior to and during the Palestinian terrorist group’s ongoing war with Israel.

Records and public footage indicate al-Sharif worked on a Hamas-linked media team before joining Al Jazeera, maintained ties with senior Hamas leadership, and was singled out by anti-Hamas protesters in March 2025 as part of the group’s ruling establishment.

The Israel Defense Forces claimed that al-Sharif, who was killed on Aug. 10 along with four colleagues in an Israeli airstrike near Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital, was “the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and advanced rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops.” IDF international spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani added on X that Israel obtained intelligence showing al-Sharif was “an active Hamas military wing operative at the time of his elimination” and even received a salary from the terrorist group.

The IDF released photographs it said showed him with Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Khalil al-Hayya, and others, as well as a guest at Hamas gatherings, including some before his current rise to prominence since 2023.

The BBC noted that al-Sharif had worked directly on a Hamas-affiliated media team before the war. This background helped position him to become one of Al Jazeera’s most recognizable Gaza correspondents, ultimately earning him the moniker “The Voice of Gaza” on the network.

According to recently surfaced court documents, al-Sharif allegedly praised Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, the day the terrorist group invaded southern Israel, killed 1,200 people, and kidnapped 251 hostages while perpetrating widespread sexual violence.

“Nine hours and the heroes [of Hamas’s Qassam Brigades and other fighters] are still roaming through the houses [of Israelis] killing and capturing,” he allegedly said in a pro-Hamas Telegram group. “God, God, how great they are!” The post has been widely circulated in pro-Israel media, although The Algemeiner could not independently confirm their authenticity.

During anti-Hamas protests in March 2025, video from northern Gaza showed demonstrators calling on al-Sharif by name while they were denouncing Hamas leaders. Protesters outside the al-Shifa hospital also criticized al-Sharif and Al Jazeera for what they described as a refusal to cover the outbreak of grassroots demonstrations across the enclave, with slogans including “Hamas, out!” and “Hey, hey, Hamas are terrorists.” As a major protest commenced outside, al-Sharif and his team remained inside the hospital, refusing to give the demonstrations airtime — a decision critics said aligned with Al Jazeera’s narrative that Hamas retained popular support and legitimacy.

Al Jazeera correspondents have previously received privileged access to Hamas military infrastructure. In one case, correspondent Mustafa Ashour was granted an exclusive tour of Hamas’s tunnels alongside military commanders — access denied to other media.

Other Gaza-based reporters, including Hussam Shabat, have been killed by Israeli strikes that the IDF says targeted militants with dual media roles.

Open-source social media accounts have circulated claims from a Gaza Telegram channel allegedly affiliated with the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades urging residents not to mourn al-Sharif, alleging he had provided internal security with information on anti-Hamas dissidents for arrest or elimination. While no corroborating evidence has yet been made public, the practice has precedent: In March 2020, journalist Hind Khoudary publicly doxxed peace activist Rami Aman to Hamas officials after he participated in a Zoom call with Israelis. A man was later arrested and tortured by Hamas internal security. Khoudary has gone on to work for Al Jazeera English since the start of the war.

In one of his last statements, al-Sharif appeared to criticize Hamas negotiators, saying they bore partial responsibility for the worsening situation in northern Gaza.

International outlets including the BBC, CNN, and Sky News condemned the killing as part of what they described as Israel’s pattern of targeting journalists. Israel maintains that al-Sharif was a legitimate military target due to his alleged operational role in Hamas.

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Belgian Politician Sparks Outrage by Refusing Rosh Hashanah Greeting Amid Rising Antisemitism

Matthias Diependaele, Minister‑President of Flanders, has faced backlash after declining to send a Rosh Hashanah message to Belgium’s Jewish community. Photo: Screenshot

A senior Belgian politician has sparked outrage by refusing to send a Jewish New Year message, amid a growing climate of hostility toward Jews and Israelis in Europe, where antisemitic attacks continue to rise.

Earlier this week, Matthias Diependaele, Minister‑President of Flanders — the Dutch-speaking region in northern Belgium — was asked by the Belgian Jewish newspaper The Centrale to provide a Rosh Hashanah message.

However, the newspaper received a message from Diependaele’s office declining the request.

“After internal deliberation, we regret to inform you that, given the current situation and sensitivities concerning the tensions in the Middle East, we cannot follow up on your request,” the statement read.

“Anything that bears even the slightest connection to this conflict is being closely monitored and examined under a magnifying glass. For that reason, we do not deem it opportune to go into this any further,” it continued.

According to the Jewish newspaper, requesting a Rosh Hashanah greeting from Belgium’s leaders for the country’s Jewish citizens has been a long-standing tradition.

“This year, even that became radioactive,” The Centrale wrote.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, will take place in late September this year.

Shortly after the newspaper published Diependaele’s response, which drew widespread outrage from Belgium’s Jewish community and leaders, the politician rejected claims of antisemitism and attempted to revise his earlier statement.

“My refusal is purely based on the principle that, for more than 15 years in my role as a representative of the people, I have not supported religious activities,” Diependaele wrote in a new letter sent to The Centrale.

“I have also never accepted invitations for the Eid. I have also never taken part in a Te Deum for Catholics,” the Belgian politician continued. “By this I am in no way passing judgment on any religion or on the people who practice it. It is, however, my conviction that no religion — including my own — has any role to play in the exercise of my mandate.”

However, the paper rejected Diependaele’s new letter, arguing that his shift from “too sensitive right now” to a “timeless principle” was an attempt to mask his initial fear of public backlash.

The World Jewish Congress sharply criticized Diependaele’s actions, denouncing it as a clear act of antisemitism.

“Holding Jews in the Diaspora collectively accountable for the actions of Israel – is antisemitic. To be a political leader, and to refuse to acknowledge the traditions and culture of your country’s Jewish community – because of Israel – is antisemitic,” the organization said in a statement.

“What transpired is quite clear: A political leader declined to acknowledge their Jewish citizens because of Israel and the perceived public backlash about engaging with Jews,” it continued.

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Israeli Hostage Families Sue ICC Prosecutor, Accuse Him of Aiding Hamas

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks during an interview with Reuters in The Hague, Netherlands, Feb. 12, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw

Families of three hostages still being held in Gaza by Hamas have filed a lawsuit against Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing him of aiding the Palestinian terror group and obstructing justice.

On Wednesday, Israeli NGO Shurat HaDin, led by attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, announced a lawsuit worth NIS 20 million (about $5.9 million) on behalf of the families of Avinatan Or, Eitan Mor, and Omri Miran.

“The International Criminal Court has become a branch of Hamas. Through [Khan’s] direct actions, he gave an enormous tailwind to the terrorist murderers,” Darshan-Leitner, founder and president of Shurat HaDin, said in a statement.

The lawsuit accuses Khan of turning the ICC into “a branch office” of Hamas, the terrorist group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades, and calls for him to be investigated for allegedly acting against Israel to divert attention from sexual misconduct claims against him.

It also accuses Khan of undermining Israel, deceiving the plaintiffs, and providing support to terrorist organizations.

“The blood libels the defendant wove against the State of Israel and its leaders, by creating a false moral equivalence between the State of Israel – the victim – and the terrorists who hold the hostages and abuse them daily, granted legitimacy to the terrorists to continue extorting Israel while holding and abusing the hostages,” the lawsuit says about Khan.

According to the lawsuit, Khan failed for eight months to issue arrest warrants for senior Hamas leaders behind the Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught on Israel, including Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar, and Ismail Haniyeh.

Even then, he opted not to pursue other figures from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, an allied terrorist group in Gaza, directly responsible for taking hostages.

In this way, the lawsuit argues that Khan drew a false moral equivalence between a democratic state defending itself and terrorist groups killing civilians, while delaying action, deflecting responsibility, and providing political cover to Hamas.

“We will not allow international courts to turn into sanctuaries for terror. We will not let them rewrite history. We will not stay silent while justice is hijacked,” the Israeli NGO said in a post on X.

In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and now-deceased Hamas terror leader Ibrahim al-Masri (better known as Mohammed Deif) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.

Khan initially made his surprise demand for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on the same day in May that he suddenly canceled a long-planned visit to both Gaza and Israel to collect evidence of alleged war crimes. The last-second cancellation reportedly infuriated US and British leaders, as the trip would have offered Israeli leaders a first opportunity to present their position and outline any action they were taking to respond to the allegations.

However, the ICC said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally responsible for starvation in Gaza and the persecution of Palestinians — charges vehemently denied by Israel, which has provided significant humanitarian aid into the enclave during the war.

Israel also says it has gone to unprecedented lengths to try and avoid civilian casualties, despite Hamas’s widely acknowledged military strategy of embedding its terrorists within Gaza’s civilian population and commandeering civilian facilities like hospitals, schools, and mosques to run operations and direct attacks.

US and Israeli officials have issued blistering condemnations of the ICC move, decrying the court for drawing a moral equivalence between Israel’s democratically elected leaders and the heads of Hamas, which launched the ongoing war in Gaza with its invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

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