Latest news with #intimidation
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Closing submissions heard at intimidation trial of former ‘Creeper Hunter TV' creator
Jason Nassr covers his face while leaving a London, Ont. courthouse after hearing sentencing submissions and victim impact statements on July 19, 2023. (Jenn Basa/CTV News London) Jason Nassr sat next to his lawyer wearing a medical mask and taking notes as closing submissions at his intimidation trial got underway on Tuesday morning. In January 2023, the 44-year-old, who created 'Creeper Hunter TV', a website he claimed was intended to catch predators, was on trial and eventually convicted of harassment, extortion, and producing child pornography. All counts are now under appeal. It was at that trial that Nassr would be charged with intimidating a justice participant when during a heated exchange under cross-examination, he told the court he knew the name of the Crown Attorney's young child. Nassr was upset at the time because the Crown, in that case, was suggesting that he operated 'Creeper Hunter TV' for his own sexual gratification. In his closing at the intimidation trial, Crown Attorney Thomas Mack said Nassr was seething at the time he said the child's name, saying, 'The only reason he made those comments at the time is with the intention of causing fear (in the Crown) to impede him during cross-examination.' Mack said he should be found guilty because people know that Nassr is proficient online. 'He (Nassr) is adept at locating targets and he's able to intrude digitally into people's lives and he's one who went to significant lengths to extort, harass, and shame his targets,' Mack said. Later, defence lawyer Ingrid Grant told the court the Crown hasn't proven its case because Nassr did not provoke fear or impede his earlier trial. She said that Justice Alissa Mitchell cut Nassr off and didn't let him complete his sentence after he mentioned the child's name. 'Mr. Nassr gets angry... He's speaking off the cuff while he's upset,' Grant said. Justice James Stribopoulos is expected to hand down his decision on this latest case on Wednesday.
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Call for Julie Bishop to resign from top university role after concerning allegations were made about the former foreign minister by a colleague
An emotional academic has levelled explosive allegations against former foreign minister Julie Bishop, accusing her of workplace bullying and intimidation. On Tuesday, Dr Liz Allen, a former member of the Australian National University (ANU) Council, told a Senate committee investigating higher education governance that she resigned in April after losing confidence in the university's leadership. Dr Allen alleged senior figures had issued 'misleading public statements' and dismissed community concerns. She claimed that since 2024 she had endured 'threats, intimidation, and bullying' for pushing for greater transparency, an ordeal she says drove her 'to near suicide' and caused lasting trauma. She alleged Ms Bishop had falsely accused her and an undergraduate student representative of leaking confidential council information, allegations Dr Allen 'strongly denies.' According to Dr Allen, during a February meeting Ms Bishop delivered a 'near two-hour disciplinary-like lecture' before later confronting her in a private room with another council member present. 'The Chancellor further berated me, suggested commencing a legal investigation, and calling a journalist to confirm I wasn't leaking,' Dr Allen said. She told the hearing she felt 'threatened' and feared for her job. Senator Mehreen Faruqi said during the committee hearing that she could see no way forward other than for Ms Bishop and ANU vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell to resign following Dr Allen's testimony. The academic also claimed she had received a legal letter from ANU after she was accused of leaking information. 'ANU media (also) delayed publication of a piece I worked on (and) I was excluded from coordinated media during the election, something I would usually participate in.' Dr Allen said the situation also damaged her working relationships. 'Colleagues are afraid to collaborate with me, fearing the leadership,' she said. 'My online and work activities are monitored and I recently received numerous emails from the Vice-Chancellor's head of public affairs and the senior adviser noting they were 'watching my public comments'.' She further alleged Ms Bishop laughed at her emotional response, blocked her from leaving the room, and left her feeling 'violated and deeply humiliated.' 'The trauma caused by the most senior people at the nation's university continues to affect me and my family,' she said. 'I haven't leaked. I haven't breached the ANU code of conduct. I've merely tried to hold leadership accountable.' Dr Allen said the emotional toll was too much, leaving her to consider taking her own life. 'It affected me so deeply that on the drive home, I decided to kill myself.,' she said. 'I pulled over to write final goodbyes to my children and partner. I emailed my supervisors because I knew I hadn't done anything wrong. 'A call from my husband stopped me taking my life.' Dr Allen also said that she suffered a miscarriage just two weeks after the alleged incident with Bishop occurred. Later in the day, ANU Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Churchill appeared before the committee, and addressed Dr Allen's allegations. 'We take what has been said very seriously,' Mr Churchill said. 'On a preliminary view, a number of the statements don't appear to be correct,' he said. 'We will examine all of the statements made and will respond with particularity, in writing, to those assertions.' Mr Churchill noted that Dr Allen's case was an ongoing internal matter. 'In relation to Dr Allen, I draw the committee's attention to the fact there is a current grievance procedure against the university… that has been initiated by Dr Allen,' he said. 'That makes it impossible for me to comment whilst the grievance procedure is on foot without compromising those current proceedings.' Mr Churchill also told the committee that Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell was absent from the inquiry due to illness. He added that Chancellor Julie Bishop was engaged on other duties, in her role as UN Secretary General and Special Representative on Myanmar. Another member of the Australian National University Council, Francis Markham, has also resigned, with his departure confirmed overnight. Appearing before the Senate committee earlier on Tuesday, Dr Markham said his decision was driven by 'concerns about governance practices within the council.' He had been due to serve on the council until September 2026. The claims against Bishop follow sharp criticism against her and the ANU Vice Chancellor Genevieve Bell, who have been slammed over their running of the university. Bishop came under fire for holidaying in Dubai, at the five-star Atlantis Hotel, where rooms go for upwards of $1,000 a night, just weeks after ANU announced $250million in budget cuts Lucy Chapman-Kelly, co-convener of the 'No Cuts at ANU' campaign, slammed Bishop. 'Julie Bishop and Genevieve Bell deserve to be sacked for putting profit over our education. ANU students and staff won't stop fighting until we achieve a reversal of [the cuts],' she told Daily Mail.
Sky News
a day ago
- Politics
- Sky News
What are West Bank settlements, who are settlers, and why are they controversial?
There are increasing reports of violence and intimidation by Israeli settlers in occupied Palestinian territory. Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay has been inside the West Bank, where he's found settlers feeling emboldened since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. With the government largely supporting them, they act with impunity and are in many ways enabled by Israel security forces. But what are the settlements, and why are they controversial? What are settlements? A settlement is an Israeli-built village, town, or city in occupied Palestinian territory - either in the West Bank or East Jerusalem. The largest, Modi'in Illit, is thought to house around 82,000 settlers, according to Peace Now. There is also a growing movement of Israelis wanting to build settlements in Gaza. Settlements are illegal under international law and have been condemned by the UN. They are, however, authorised by the Israeli government. As well as official, government-approved settlements, there are also Israeli outposts. 1:03 These are established without government approval and are considered illegal by Israeli authorities. But reports suggest the government often turns a blind eye to their creation. Israel began building settlements shortly after the 1967 Six-Day War. The Etzion Bloc in Hebron, which was established that year, now houses around 40,000 people. According to the Israel Policy Forum, the settlement programme is intended to protect Israel's security, with settlers acting as the first line of defence "against an invasion". The Israeli public appears divided on the effectiveness of the settlements, however. A 2024 Pew Research Centre poll found that 40% of Israelis believe settlements help Israeli security, 35% say they hurt it, and 21% think they make no difference. Why are they controversial? Israeli settlements are built on land that is internationally recognised as Palestinian territory. 4:03 Sky News has spoken to multiple Palestinians who say they were forced out of their homes by Israeli settlers, despite having lived there for generations. "They gradually invade the community and expand. The goal is to terrorise people, to make them flee," Rachel Abramovitz, a member of the group Looking The Occupation In The Eye, told Sky News in May. Settlers who have spoken to Sky News say they have a holy right to occupy the land. American-born Israeli settler Daniel Winston told Sky's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay: "God's real, and he wrote the Bible, and the Bible says, 'I made this land, and I want you to be here'." Settlers make up around 5% of Israel's population and 15% of the West Bank's population, according to data from Peace Now. How have things escalated since 7 October 2023? Since the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023 and Israel's subsequent military bombardment of Gaza, more than 100 Israeli outposts have been established, according to Peace Now. In May, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government approved 22 new settlements, including the legalisation of outposts that had previously been built without authorisation. Settler violence against Palestinians has also increased, according to the UN, with an average of 118 incidents each month - up from 108 in 2023, which was already a record year. The UK government has sanctioned two members of Mr Netanyahu's cabinet, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, for "repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian civilians" - notably in the West Bank. The UN's latest report on Israeli settlements notes that in October 2024, there were 162 settler attacks on Palestinian olive harvesters, many of them in the presence of IDF soldiers. Of the 174 settler violence incidents studied by the UN, 109 were not reported to Israeli authorities. Most Palestinian victims said they didn't report the attacks due to a lack of trust in the Israeli system; some said they feared retaliation by settlers or the authorities if they did.
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Man guilty of child porn charges back in London court
A man found guilty of online child pornography charges is back in court for allegedly intimidating a justice participant. CTV's Nick Paparella reports.
National Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- National Post
Leslie Roberts: A Jewish man is attacked in front of his daughter, his kippah thrown in a puddle
Article content This is not political debate — it's the normalization of intimidation and, in some cases, the celebration of violence. Article content On August 6, Hamas, itself, urged supporters to 'intensify popular pressure in all cities, capitals, and public squares' over the coming weekend — in both Arabic and English. That call is not abstract. It's happening here. Article content It has been said more than once that eventually someone's going to get hurt. Is this that incident? We don't have to answer that question. We know what happened was enough to take further action. And yet here we are — same milquetoast response from authorities as everything else. Article content The graffiti, the threats, the marches. What's it going to take for someone in a position of authority to end this campaign against the Jewish community? Where are the fellow Montrealers asking what has happened to our city — let alone Toronto, B.C., and the rest of the country? Article content As a born-and-bred Montrealer, I feel we've let some of our Jewish neighbours, friends and family feel alone and unsupported. History will judge us for that, and so much more. Article content Whether the Montreal attacker was motivated by ideology or mental illness, it is clear the broader climate is making such attacks more likely. Article content Hate crimes thrive in an environment where they are minimized, dismissed and ignored. Our leaders have a choice: to speak out, clearly and unequivocally, against all forms of hate and political violence — or to tacitly allow these acts to become part of our new normal. Article content
