In 1980 someone detonated a bomb outside a synagogue in Paris. Four people were killed. Suspicion immediately fell on French neo-nazi groups. But soon investigators turned their attention to groups from the Middle East. Then the case went cold. For decades.

Then, in 2008, the RCMP arrested an Ottawa-based sociology professor. What follows is a twisting tale of extradition, years of interrogation, and ultimately a trial and conviction in absentia. But today the person at the heart of the story, Hassan Diab, is free and living in Canada despite being convicted of the bombing in France.

The case is back in the headlines with Elon Musk and Pierre Poilievre, among others, asking why a convicted terrorist is a free man walking the streets of Canada. Canadaland has spent a year and a half digging into the story of Hassan Diab. Today we bring you a preview of our new series: The Copernic Affair.

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Fact Checker),` max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Guests: Dana Ballout, Alex Atack

Additional music by Audio Network

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