Hicham Jerando: a symbol of an impotent Canada facing organized crime

In a world where justice should be a bulwark against crime, the case of Hicham Jerando reveals a scandal far deeper than the mere escape of a convicted terrorist. This Moroccan fugitive, wanted for terrorism, incitement to hatred, and blackmail, today benefits from a troubling Canadian permissiveness that offers him a safe refuge and allows him to continue his harmful activities with total impunity.

Contrary to what many might think, the problem does not lie solely in Canada’s ability to track or extradite him. The real issue lies within the country’s system itself, weakened by organized crime infiltrating institutions, police, judiciary, and even the political class. Jerando is just one link in a much broader chain, where crime thrives under a deceptive democratic facade.

In Canada, justice seems more concerned with protecting criminals’ rights than ensuring public safety. Lenient sentences, early releases, widespread judicial laxity—this is what fuels impunity. In this climate, someone like Jerando can spread threats, manipulate, and continue destabilizing Morocco without fear of repercussions.

Revelations about mafia networks infiltrating Canadian security services highlight the gravity of the problem. How can one expect to stop a man protected by a system where the line between crime and power blurs? The case of Cameron Ortis, former head of Canadian intelligence convicted of treason, is just one example. Tacit complicity between certain political elites and criminal groups completes this dark picture.

It is urgent that Canada realizes the threat these criminals pose—not only to the countries they aim to destabilize, like Morocco, but to Canada’s own survival as a rule-of-law state. As long as the country remains a land of impunity, figures like Jerando will continue to proliferate, fueling violence, blackmail, and hatred.

The Jerando case therefore goes beyond Morocco. It is primarily a Canadian issue: a symptom of a state deteriorating under its own demons. Canada’s silence over this crisis is as disturbing as the fugitive’s actions themselves.

Faced with this reality, it becomes essential to denounce and combat the permissiveness that weakens justice and security. Until Canada fixes its flaws, it will continue to harbor and protect dangerous criminals, and the tragedy of Jerando will remain an indelible stain on its international image.