Hassan Diab could use his connections to the terrorist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine to flee Canada and avoid standing trial for murder, the Crown argued Friday as it sought to deny bail to man accused of killing four people in the 1980 bombing of the Copernic Street synagogue in Paris.
"Would the PFLP not want to come to the aid of one of its former soldiers, in order to protect the organization and its members?" said Crown Attorney Claude LeFrancois, as he made his closing arguments in the final day of Mr. Diab's bail hearing.
Diab has been incarcerated at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre since November, 2008, when he was arrested on French charges of murder, attempted murder, and destruction of property. He is being held pending his hearing for extradition to France.
Leafing through the record of the case submitted by French authorities, LeFrancois pointed out that some witnesses interviewed by the French police have connected Diab to the PFLP at the time when he lived in Lebanon in the 1970s.
There is also evidence linking Diab's close friend and ex-wife, Nawal Copty, as well as his recent lover Faten Faour to the terrorist organization, the Crown counsel argued, referring to the French record of the case.
The Crown suggested that one or both of those women could help Diab to escape from Canada if he were released on bail. LeFrancois further suggested that Diab is a shifty individual who cannot be trusted.
"Since nothing will prevent a truly deceptive individual from absconding, this court must decide if Mr. Diab's word is to be trusted," Le Francois said. "At several points in his testimony, Mr. Diab was not credible."
Although Diab does not currently hold a valid passport, LeFrancois argued that he has travelled on false papers in the past. In 1982, Mr. Diab travelled from Lebanon to Cyprus, although his passport had gone missing in 1981, and he did not report it lost until 1983, LeFrancois said.
"There's simply no explanation of lawful travel to Cyprus when he did not have a passport," he said.
Diab's defense lawyer argued last week in his closing submissions that the criminal case against Mr. Diab was weak, that he could not flee the country without a passport, and that he should be released on the presumption of innocence.
Justice Maranger is expected to make his decision next week.