The Government of Canada announces the addition of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades to the Criminal Code list of terrorist entities

OTTAWA, June 29, 2015 /CNW/ - The Honourable Steven Blaney, Canada's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, today announced the addition of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades to the Criminal Code list of terrorist entities, as well as administrative changes to the list.

The Abdullah Azzam Brigades is an Al Qaida affiliated terrorist organization that has claimed responsibility for several rocket attacks in northern Israel and has also repeatedly articulated its intent to carry out attacks against Western targets in the Middle East. In 2014, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed joint responsibility with Jabhat al-Nusra for rocket attacks in Hermel, Lebanon.  This terrorist organization also claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings near the Iranian cultural centre in Beirut, Lebanon, in February, 2014.

Administrative changes to the Criminal Code list of terrorist entities include:

• Vanguards of Conquest (VOC), Al Jihad (and its alias the Egyptian Islamic Jihad) will be removed from the list of terrorist entities and added as aliases to Al Qaida, as the groups have merged with Al Qaida.
• Ansar al-Shari'a will be added as an alias to Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
• God's Partisans, Gathering of Supporters and Partisan's League will be added as aliases to Asbat Al-Ansar.
• Columbian United Self-Defense Groups will be added as an alias to Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia.
• O'zbekiston Islomiy Harakati, Harakat ul-Islamiyyah, Islamic Movement of Turkestan, Islamic Party of Turkestan (IPT) and IMU-IPT will be added as aliases to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
• Meir's Youth and No'ar Meir will be added as aliases to Kahane Chai.
• Jamaat-ud-Dawa (Society for Preaching), al-Anfal Trust, Tehrik-e-Hurmate-e-Rasool, al Mansoorian (The Victorious), Army of the Pure, Paasban-e-Kashmir (Kashmir Brigade), Paasban-i-Ahle-Hadith (Ahle-Hadith Brigade), Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation and Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq will be added as aliases to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba.
• Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami fi Filistin, Saraya Al-Quds (The Jerusalem Brigades), Al-Quds Brigades, Islamic Jihad, Palestine Islamic Jihad-Shaqaqi Faction, Palestinian Islamic Jihad-Shaqaqi, PIJ-Shaqaqi Faction, PIJ-Shallah Faction, Islamic Jihad of Palestine, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, Abu Ghunaym Squad of the Hizballah Bayt Al-Maqdis, Al-Quds Squads and Al-Awdah Brigades will be added as aliases to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
• Halhul Gang, Halhul Squad, Palestinian Popular Resistance Forces, PPRF, Red Eagle Gang, Red Eagle Group, Red Eagles and Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades will be added as aliases to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
• Afghan Taliban, Tahreek-i-Islami-i-Taliban Afghanistan, and Movement of Islamic Students will be added as aliases to the Taliban

Quick Facts

• The Criminal Code allows for severe penalties for persons and organizations that deal in the property or finances of a listed entity.
• In addition, it is a crime to knowingly participate in, or contribute to, any activity of a listed entity for the purpose of enhancing the ability of the entity to facilitate or carry out a terrorist activity.
• These offences and related offences are set out, in full, in the Criminal Code.

Quote

"The international jihadi movement has declared war on Canada and its allies. The listing of terrorist entities under the Criminal Code is a critical component in our Government's efforts to counter terrorist activity and terrorist financing. This addition to the Criminal Code list of terrorist entities, as well as a number of administrative changes, will ensure that our Government's list of terrorist entities reflect the continually evolving terrorist threat."

– The Honourable Steven Blaney, Canada's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Related Products

• The names of listed entities under the Criminal Code can be found on the Public Safety Canada Web site at www.publicsafety.gc.ca under National Security, Counter-Terrorism.

Follow Public Safety Canada (@Safety_Canada) on Twitter.

For more information, please visit the website www.publicsafety.gc.ca.

SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

Related Links

www.publicsafety.gc.ca