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A 16-year-old from the Quebec City area who was charged with a terrorism-related offence pleaded not guilty on Friday morning.
The teenager, who appeared in court in Quebec City, was arrested by the RCMP in 2024. He allegedly used social media to promote the violent ideology of a group known as Atomwaffen Division, according to a statement released by the RCMP on Thursday.
It was decided Friday that he could remain free, but that he must comply with several conditions imposed by the court, including not possessing a cellphone with access to internet nor items displaying terrorist group logos.
The teenager cannot be legally identified because he is a minor, the RCMP’s Erique Gasse said.
The accused is believed to have produced and distributed online material with the aim of inspiring and recruiting others.
The Atomwaffen Division is an international neo-Nazi group founded in the U.S. in 2013. It was declared to be a terrorist entity by the Canadian government in 2021.
In 2022, around 60 RCMP officers conducted raids southwest of Quebec City, targeting people connected to the group.
The 16-year-old is expected to reappear in court in April.