Canada revokes citizenship of convicted terror plotter

The Canadian government has revoked the citizenship of the convicted mastermind of a 2006 Al-Qaeda inspired plot to detonate bombs in Toronto, a newspaper reported Saturday.

Zakaria Amara received a life sentence in January 2010 and is serving his time in a penitentiary in Quebec.

The National Post reported that Amara was notified by letter that he is no longer a Canadian citizen and that the move is a first for the Canadian government following the taking effect of a new law.

Defense Minister Jason Kenney appeared to confirm the development, tweeting: “This man hated Canada so much, he planned on murdering hundreds of Canadians. He forfeited his own citizenship.”

Under a law that took effect in May, the government can revoke the citizenship of citizens convicted of terrorism provided they hold dual citizenship.

Amara, who still has a Jordanian passport, was deemed the mastermind of an Al-Qaeda inspired plot to bomb the Toronto Stock Exchange, Canada’s spy agency offices and a military base using fertilizer explosives packed in rented trucks.

At the end of his trial in 2010, Amara, aged 24 at the time, apologized to Canadians for his actions in an open letter he read in court.

He could apply for parole in 2016 but faces deportation to Jordan upon release from prison.