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Toronto (July 28, 2025) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is calling for urgent reform of Canada’s hate crime laws following today’s sentencing of a man who threatened the mass murder of Jews in Toronto – a punishment that amounted to just 60 days of house arrest.

Waisuddin Akbari was convicted last November of threatening widespread death and property damage after telling a car dealership employee that he planned to “plant a bomb in every synagogue in Toronto and blow them up to kill as many Jews as possible,” according to court documents.

At the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket, Ont., a judge sentenced Akbari to 60 days of house arrest, three years of probation, a 10-year weapons prohibition and mandatory antisemitism education and counselling for gambling addiction. He was also ordered not to go near any Jewish institution or community event.

Crown prosecutors had sought up to six months in jail.

Last week, FSWC delivered a Community Impact Statement on behalf of the Jewish community, outlining the extensive fear and harm caused by Akbari’s homicidal rhetoric.

Following today’s court ruling, FSWC Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy Jaime Kirzner-Roberts issued the following statement:

“It’s because of Akbari and those like him that Jewish Canadians don’t feel safe, and indeed are not safe, even in the very spaces meant to offer solace and peace. While we appreciate the court’s acknowledgment of the virulently antisemitic nature of this crime, this minimal sentence fails to reflect the severity of the threat made against the Jewish community. At a time of rampant antisemitism in Canada and elsewhere, it sends an alarming message that threats to slaughter Jews and bomb synagogues may be met with leniency. That is extremely disappointing and profoundly unsettling for our community.

“This case underscores the urgent need for stronger hate crime laws, along with a justice and law enforcement system that takes hate crimes more seriously, conducts thorough investigations and pursues meaningful accountability – one that truly reflects the serious harm these crimes inflict on targeted communities. Unless this is done, those who incite or commit hate and violence against Jews or other minority groups will not be substantially deterred.”