2 Alberta men charged with uttering threats against Trudeau online

A 67-year-old Edmonton man has been charged for allegedly posting threats to kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh.

The manis facing three Criminal Code counts of uttering threats against a person, RCMPsaid in a news release Monday.

Threats allegedly made by a YouTube account user were reported to the RCMP Federal Policing Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) on June 7.

Theman was charged on June 13 and isscheduled to appear in court in Edmonton on Thursday, RCMP said.

After a separate investigation, a 23-year-old Calgary man was charged on June 6 for allegedly posting threats to kill Trudeau on X, formerly known as Twitter. He is scheduled to appear in a Calgary courtroom on Tuesday.

"In the digital age, where so many interactions occur online and are perceived to be anonymous, there is a belief that virtual actions and words do not have consequences," Insp. Matthew Johnson, acting head of the northwest region's INSET team, said in the release

"When these virtual actions or words cross the boundaries of Charter-protected speech and constitute criminal activity, police will investigate thoroughly to hold those responsible accountable."

The RCMPsaid in the news release that the security environment for public figures is evolving within Canada and abroad and that it recognizes the need for increased vigilance.

Multiple individuals have been charged with uttering threats online against Trudeau, including a Montreal man who was charged in February.

The House of Commons sergeant-at-arms said in May that harassment of MPshas jumped almost 800 per cent in the last five years.

More recently, the RCMP assistant commissioner in charge of protective policing said the number of MPs requesting protection has almost doubled since 2018.

"It's not a surprise that there's an increasing amount of threats towards people in positions of authority and politicians online," Stephanie Carvin,an associate professor at Carleton University in Ottawa and a former national security analyst, said Monday.

"What is more rare is to actually see criminal prosecution of those threats."

Carvin said the comments in question would have to have passed a certain threshold for content, adding that identification can also be a challenge for law enforcement when it comes to online threats.