The man who caused Concordia University to evacuate three of its buildings after he sent fake terrorist bomb threats has been granted full parole on the 18-month prison term he received in October.
Hisham Saadi, 49, was granted the release earlier this month by the Commission québécoise des libérations conditionnelles (CQLC) after the provincial parole board determined that “the risk (he) represents does not seem unacceptable to society.”
On March 1, 2017, security at Concordia and several media outlets began receiving emails written by Saadi. The emails claimed to be from a white supremacist group called the Council of Conservative Citizens of Canada. The emails stated that a series of homemade bombs had been placed in two of the university’s buildings and that they would be set off over the course of three days. Concordia closed three of its buildings for roughly seven hours before searches of the buildings proved the threats were fake.
It took police little time to trace the emails to Saadi’s Montreal apartment, and he was arrested within hours. In June, Saadi was convicted of committing acts that, considering the context, were susceptible to causing fear that terrorist acts were about to be carried out. During the sentencing stage, Saadi, who completed a master’s degree in administration at Concordia in 2005, admitted he made the threats in an effort to avoid taking a midterm exam he wasn’t ready for. Saadi began a doctorate program in 2015, but flunked out. He registered as an independent student, but had to maintain an A- average in order to get back into the doctorate program. He felt that if he did poorly on the midterm, he would never get back in.
Saadi was first granted a conditional release on Jan. 16. While the CQLC’s two previous decisions have been redacted, it appears clear Saadi was required to reside at an institution where he could be treated for psychological problems while he did volunteer work for two organizations.
In its latest decision, the CQLC noted that Saadi seems to have made progress toward getting his life together.
“You have notably carried out community work and undergone consultations to address your mental health problem. It is however worrisome that you have been lax in terms of finding a job which, in the board’s opinion, is necessary in terms of living a life respectful of the law,” the board wrote in its decision. “The board also notes however that as you approach the age of 50 this is your first time serving a sentence.”
The board attached a series of conditions Saadi will have to respect for the remainder of his sentence. He is required to follow any psychological therapy prescribed to him, and he has to show proof he is taking courses with the goal of finding a job. He is also not allowed to set foot in any building owned by Concordia and is not allowed to be within 200 metres of any university campus.
The sentence Saadi received in October includes a three-year period of supervised probation after the prison term expires in April next year.