OTTAWA — Answers are being sought by a Canadian senator over the activities of the B.C.-based leader of a Canadian terror organization.
In a letter sent Tuesday to Public Safety Minister David McGuinty, Senator Leo Housakos expressed concern over a recent trip undertaken by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network leader Charlotte Kates to attend Sunday’s funeral of terrorist Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.
“The presence and activities of individuals linked to designated terrorist organizations, and in this case those leading Canadian listed entities (i.e. Samidoun) within Canada pose significant risks to national security and public safety,” Housakos wrote in his letter, obtained by the Toronto Sun.
“It is crucial that appropriate measures are taken to address these concerns promptly and transparently.”
Housakos outlined three areas of concern: Kates citizenship/immigration status, her international travel, and the failure of the B.C. Prosecution Service to follow through with charges in connection with her arrest last year at a Vancouver anti-Israel hate rally.
“Ms. Kates was arrested in Vancouver in May 2024 for allegedly making pro-terrorism statements during a public demonstration,” Housakos wrote.
“However, it appears that charges have not been laid, and she has been released with certain conditions. The current status of this investigation remains unclear.”
Despite charges being recommended by Vancouver Police, the B.C. Prosecution Service has yet to move forward and so far have provided no reasons.
“This process is continuing and I am unable to provide a timeline for completion,” B.C. Crown spokesperson Damienne Darby told Postmedia last year.
Canada named Samidoun as a terrorist organization last October, due largely to their association and fundraising on behalf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) — itself declared a terror group in Canada more than two decades ago.
“Despite Samidoun’s terrorist designation, Ms. Kates has repeatedly travelled to the Middle East, including most recently attending a funeral for the former leader of Hezbollah – itself a listed terrorist entity in Canada,” Housakos wrote in his letter.
“This raises concerns about how she was permitted to board international flights and whether adequate measures are in place to prevent individuals associated with terrorist entities from such travel and participation in such events.”
Housakos also expressed concern over ongoing ambiguity over Kates’ citizenship status — the American-born Kates has lived in B.C. with her Palestinian-Canadian husband Khaled Barakat for more than a decade, but it’s not clear if she ever became a Canadian citizen.
“If she has obtained Canadian citizenship, it is imperative to assess whether she was forthcoming about her affiliations during the naturalization process, especially given her leadership role in an organization linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a recognized terrorist group,” Housakos wrote.
The senator also asked McGuinty about what steps are being taken by Canadian law enforcement and intelligence services to monitor Kate’s activities.
“Does Ms. Kates’s attendance at this funeral constitute participation in the activity of a terrorist group, contrary to s.83.18(1) of the Criminal Code, thereby committing an offence under s.83.181?” he wrote.
“Does your department agree with this legal assessment? If authorities do not believe her actions constitute an offence under the current law, will you commit to reviewing and amending the legislation to ensure individuals engaged in such activities can be prosecuted appropriately?”
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