On October 3rd, 1980, a bomb was detonated outside a synagogue on Rue Copernic in Paris, leaving four people dead and dozens more injured. Over 20 years later, Hassan Diab, a Lebanese-Canadian professor was arrested in Ottawa and accused of orchestrating the attack.
Four decades later, we’re still dealing with the aftermath.
Our latest limited series, The Copernic Affair, dives into the mystery behind this bombing and brings you unprecedented access to the people at the heart of this extraordinary story.
To many, Hassan Diab is an innocent man, put through years of scrutiny, scorn and unjust incarceration. To others, including French prosecutors, he’s a terrorist who has escaped justice for far too long.
“I think it’s that exact dichotomy that makes this story so interesting,” explained Dana Ballout, journalist and co-host of The Copernic Affair. “It’s quite rare to have such vastly different opinions about this one man — and this one day, 40 years ago.”
But this story is far from over. Recently, influential figures like Elon Musk and Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre have questioned why Diab is able to live freely in Canada, and criticised Justin Trudeau — who has shown support for Hassan in the past — for dragging his feet on the issue.
“It doesn’t look good at the moment for Hassan,” remarked journalist and co-host Alex Atack.
Listen to The Copernic Affair now, available wherever you get your podcasts.
Canadaland Supporters can listen to the whole series early and ad-free. To become a supporter, visit canadaland.com/join
