Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced on Monday that it has charged two individuals, Mason John Baker and Garry Belzevick, with uttering death threats against Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other politicians. Both individuals have been charged under section 264.1(1)(a) of the Criminal Code. This section makes it an offense to knowingly utter, convey, or cause another person to receive a threat of death or bodily harm.
Mason John Baker, a 23-year-old from Calgary, is accused of posting death threats directed at Trudeau on X, formerly known as Twitter. Similarly, Garry Belzevick, a 67-year-old resident of Calgary, is charged with three counts for allegedly posting death threats against Trudeau, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, and New Democrat Party leader Jagmeet Singh on YouTube. Baker and Belzevick are scheduled for court appearances on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.
Acting officer in charge of the RCMP Federal Policing Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET), Northwest Region, Matthew Johnson, emphasized the importance of accountability in the digital age. He stated that online actions and words, though perceived to be anonymous, have consequences when they cross the boundaries of Charter-protected speech and constitute criminal activity. The RCMP Federal Policing INSET, a multi-agency team focused on national security threats, is responsible for investigating these cases.
There has been a significant increase in threats against Canadian politicians in recent years. House of Commons sergeant-at-arms and corporate security officer Patrick McDonell noted that harassment targeting members of Parliament has surged by almost 800 percent over the past five years. Former public safety minister Marco Mendicino has advocated for the creation of “protective zones” around Parliament members to mitigate these threats. In 2020, an armed man breached the grounds of Rideau Hall, where Prime Minister Trudeau resided. More recently, in 2022, Deputy Prime Minister Freeland was verbally assaulted in Alberta, an incident that drew widespread condemnation from political leaders.