Canada has officially added Samidoun to its list of recognized terrorist entities after facing calls from Jewish organizations and conservative politicians across Canada.
The charity has been linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Dominic LeBlanc, the Public Safety Minister, announced Tuesday that Samidoun, the so-called Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, is now a designated terrorist entity under the Criminal Code.
The group has most recently been in the news following protests it organized in Vancouver, B.C. on Oct. 7 where protesters glorified the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel. The protest was also the site of Canadian flag burnings, “Death to Canada” chants and Hamas-inspired calls to disrupt the Canadian economy and everyday life since the terror attack.
BC Conservative leader John Rustad called for the group and its supporters to be banned and deported last week, followed by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre calling for the group to be listed as a terror group as well.
The group had already been banned in Germany in November 2023 for its antisemitic rhetoric and open support of terrorism. They are also banned in the Netherlands and were designated as a terror group that works as a subsidiary of the PFLP in Israel.
Several anti-terrorism laws under the Canadian Code will now impact the organization, including banning anyone from knowingly dealing with property owned by Samidoun or directly or indirectly providing property, knowing that it will benefit the terrorist entity.
The announcement also notes that the designation will assist Canadian security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies in its fight against terrorism, as the listing will play a “key role in countering terrorist financing.”
“The listing of Samidoun as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code sends a strong message that Canada will not tolerate this type of activity and will do everything in its power to counter the ongoing threat to Canada’s national security and all people in Canada,” LeBlanc said in the announcement.
The move was made in a joint action with the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to designate the organization as a specially designated global terrorist group.
The OFAC press release called the organization a “sham charity” that serves as an international fundraiser for the PFLP, a listed terror entity in both the US and Canada.
The report said the founder of Samidoun, Khaled Barakat, a Canadian citizen, is a member of the PFLP leadership and that Barakat and the organization play “critical roles” in fundraising for the PFLP. Barakat is now a designated terrorist in the US.
“Organizations like Samidoun masquerade as charitable actors that claim to provide humanitarian support to those in need, yet in reality divert funds for much-needed assistance to support terrorist groups,” Bradley Smith, the acting under-secretary of the US Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in the statement.
On April 6 Barakat continued the organization’s repeated praise for listed terrorist entities at an “Al-Quds day event” by saluting and pledging unconditional support for terror groups in Toronto. The Islamic regime in Iran established “Al-Quds Day” as an international day of support for listed terror groups working to destroy the Jewish state of Israel.
The US report said Canada, the US and its allies would continue to disrupt those who seek to finance the PFLP, Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
“Today’s joint action with the U.S. sends a strong message that our two nations will not tolerate this type of activity and will do everything in our power to ensure robust measures are in place to address terrorist financing,” LeBlanc said.
Jewish community groups celebrated the group now being banned in the US and Canada.
“This is a decisive blow against the forces of hate and extremism. Canada must remain a safe place for all, and today’s decision is a bold step in protecting Canadian values and security. We will never back down,” B’nai Brith Canada said on X.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs released a statement welcoming the designation as well.
“Listing the group as a terrorist entity means they will no longer be able to use our streets as a platform to incite hate and division against the Jewish community; this is a significant step toward ensuring the safety and security of Canada’s Jews,” Shimon Koffler Fogel, the president and CEO of CIJA said.
CIJA is calling for swift legal action to be taken against Barakat and his wife Charlotte Kates, who serves as the listed terror group’s international coordinator. The group also calls for the government to re-examine whether Kates and Barakat obtained Canadian citizenship fraudulently by failing to disclose affiliations with the PFLP.
