MANDEL: Father and son terror suspects appear in Newmarket court

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A Toronto father and son accused of planning a terror attack made separate virtual appearances in court Tuesday, and will return again on Thursday.

Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, and his son, Mostafa Eldidi, 26, were arrested two weeks ago in a Richmond Hill hotel room and face a total of nine terrorism charges, including conspiracy to commit murder on behalf of the IS terror group. None of the allegations have been tested in court.

The Scarborough duo, who are being held at the Central East Detention Centre, are under an order not to communicate. They each appeared briefly in Newmarket court and relied on an Arabic interpreter to indicate their efforts to secure Legal Aid lawyers.

At a press conference following their shocking arrests, RCMP Supt. James Parr told reporters the plot targeted an “unspecified” community in Toronto and was in “an advanced stage of planning.”

“I wouldn’t call it imminent, but it was close,” he said.

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The Eldidis had been under investigation since early July by the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) and were arrested by an RCMP tactical team after they allegedly acquired an axe and a machete for the benefit of IS. According to Global News, they allegedly recorded a video while wielding the blades before an IS flag.

The father faces five terror-related charges, including possessing an axe for the benefit of the terror group and aggravated assault outside of Canada at the direction of IS in 2015. Global News reported that latter charge relates to an IS propaganda video in which he allegedly uses a sword to dismember a prisoner.