Accused in Concordia bomb threat seeks changes to bail conditions

Hisham Saadi, the man charged with making bomb threats that caused Concordia University to evacuate three of its buildings earlier this year, is seeking to have his bail conditions changed while his case is pending.

The 48-year-old Montreal resident made a brief appearance at the Montreal courthouse before Quebec court Judge Nathalie Fafard on Thursday, where a defence lawyer mentioned he wants to have his release conditions altered but was unable to reach an agreement with the Crown this week. Part of the problem, the attorney said, was that Saadi’s lawyer, Caroline Braun, was not available to act on his behalf this week.

On March 1, Concordia was forced to evacuate three of its buildings, including the Hall Building on de Maisonneuve Boulevard, after several media outlets received a letter threatening that explosives would be detonated at two of the school’s downtown buildings.

Saadi must respect several conditions, including not communicating with or being within 100 metres of any universities and not using the internet unless he’s supervised. Saadi agreed to hand over his passport to authorities and follow a strict curfew. Two people agreed to put up a combined $10,000 deposit.

Saadi faces three charges, including one that alleges he committed acts likely to cause fear that terrorist acts were about to be committed. Another charge alleges he threatened to kill or cause harm to people at Concordia. The third charge alleges Saadi committed mischief.