Bail date set for 3 Quebec men accused of facilitating a terrorist activity

Three men facing terrorism-related charges and firearms offences will appear in court for a bail hearing next week.

Marc-Aurèle Chabot, Simon Angers-Audet, and Raphaël Lagacé have been charged with facilitating a terrorist activity and weapon-possession charges.

The RCMP says the charges are tied to ideologically motivated violent extremism.

Chabot, Angers-Audet and Lagacé will appear for a two-day bail hearing — due to the amount of evidence the prosecution says needs to be presented — on July 24 and 25 at the Quebec City courthouse.

They remain detained and appeared briefly in court on Monday by video conference.

A fourth individual, Matthew Forbes faces charges related to weapons possession. Forbes was released on bail on Monday on a $40,000 bond. He agreed to conditions that include wearing a GPS bracelet and possessing no weapons. He will next appear in court on Sept. 12.

The RCMP said last week in a news release that Chabot, Angers-Audet and Lagacé had been hoarding firearms and planned to take land in the Quebec City area by force. Police allege they were building up an "anti-government militia."

The Department of National Defence (DND) said in a news release Monday that both Chabot and Forbes are currently serving in the Canadian Army.

WATCH | Father of one of the men accused of facilitating terrorism speaks out:

The father of one of the Quebec men accused of plotting an anti-government militia tells CBC News his son and the others are being framed. Philippe Audet says his 24-year-old son wouldn't hurt a fly.

Forbes enrolled in the Canadian Army in October 2016 and joined the 5e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada in November 2017.

He was deployed to two operations. He was part of a military contingent that assisted the RCMP in securing the G7 in Charlevoix, Que., in 2018, and he deployed in 2019 as part of Operation Reassurance — Canada's contribution to NATO's defence measures in Central Europe.

Chabot enrolled in the Canadian Army as a reservist in June 2019 and transferred to the regular force in July 2023.

Angers-Audet enrolled in the Canadian Army as a reservist in June 2019 until May 2022. Lagacé was a civilian instructor with the air cadets.

The DND news release also said none of the weapons seized during the RCMP investigation into the four men originated from the Canadian Armed Forces.

Philippe Audet, the father of Angers-Audet, told CBC News last week that he believed his son was being framed.

He said his son had been training to perform better in the military and wasn't involved in any terrorism-related activity.

He said he was shocked when an RCMP SWAT team burst into his home to arrest his son.