Joel Ceausu is now the full-time Quebec correspondent for The Canadian Jewish News, who can be reached at [email protected].
The former Université de Montréal lecturer who participated in a fracas inside Concordia University last Nov. 8, and was recorded calling Jewish women “whores” and told Jewish students to “Go back to Poland,” has been arrested in France for ‘apology of terrorism.’
The arrest earlier this month by French authorities of Yanise Arab in his home near Grenoble was broadcast on social media by his mother, showing police escorting Arab out in handcuffs while other agents hauled away his computer equipment.
The 30-year-old PhD student is suspected of “apology of terrorism” in social media posts between 2022 and 2024. According to local French media reports, Arab was released from custody the same day—but the investigation continues.
In a press release posted to social media, his lawyer denounced the arrest as “an attack on freedom of expression, opinion and research… This umpteenth procedure aims once again to repress individuals and organizations that denounce the ongoing massacres in Gaza and Lebanon, demand an end to Israel’s impunity, respect for the law and the application of international resolutions in the region,” wrote Rafik Chekkat.
In a posting after his release, Arab characterized the arrest as violent.
Arab received a notice of suspension from UdeM within a few days after the Concordia incident as an internal investigation was launched after video surfaced of him involved in the melee around the Shabbat table for hostages at Concordia’s downtown Hall building.
The course he was teaching (“Domination and Resistance in the Arab World”) was cancelled. His doctoral student profile remains on the school website under the History department, where his expertise is listed along with his thesis: “Algerians in Palestine, between exiles and returns (1880-1962).”
UdeM spokesperson Geneviève O’Meara would not confirm if Arab is still employed at the school because of confidentiality reasons regarding employees and students, but told The CJN “that since last October events (2023) he did not teach one single class at UdeM.”
According to the French government’s administrative website, “apology of terrorism” consists of “presenting or commenting favorably either on terrorism in general or on terrorist acts already committed” and is punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment under 10 years.
The act is specifically defined as “presenting or commenting favourably either on terrorism in general or on terrorist acts already committed… Supporting the perpetrator of a terrorist act is tantamount to glorifying terrorism. The same applies when a person shows equal consideration for the victims and perpetrators of terrorist acts.”
