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The 25-year-old Prince Edward Island man has been charged with promoting hatred and anti-Semitism, as well as several firearms offences, according to the RCMP.
Police said they began investigating Matthan Runigan earlier this year after receiving several complaints about posts he allegedly made on social media.
The investigation revealed that Runigan allegedly made anti-Semitic posts, which led to him being charged with hate crimes, the RCMP said in a news release.
Main support. Kevin Lewis, commander of the PEI RCMP, said in a news release that such allegations are very rare.
“The recent attacks in Australia clearly show the consequences of hate crimes. There has been an extensive investigation into the Runigan case, which has led to what I believe are the first ever hate crime charges in PEI,” Lewis was quoted as saying in the press release, referring to mass shooting at Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14th.
“Hate speech is a toxic, dangerous and harmful crime that deeply impacts our communities.”
During the investigation, police said they learned that Runigan allegedly illegally obtained a firearm.
On Aug. 7, RCMP said officers executed a public safety warrant at his home and seized a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition.
At that time, Runigan was charged with:
- Possession of a weapon dangerous to public order.
- Improper storage of firearms.
- Possession of a firearm without a license.
- Possession of unrestricted firearms without a license.
Police said Runigan was released on conditions and violated those conditions three times, leading to his arrest again in September. He was later released by the court after a pre-trial detention hearing.
On October 10, police said Runigan was arrested again for violating his conditions by posting hate speech online. Since that time he has been in custody.
Runigan will appear in the PEI Supreme Court on January 13 to answer to four charges of violating the conditions of his release, as well as four firearms offences.
Hate crime charges filed Tuesday
The RCMP said it laid additional charges against him Tuesday after a lengthy investigation into social media posts.
Runigan now also faces charges of:
- Publicly promoting hatred of Jews is contrary to subsection 319(2) of the Criminal Code of Canada.
- Deliberately promoting anti-Semitism in breach of subsection 319(2.1).
His next court appearance to answer to the hate crime charges is also scheduled for Jan. 13.
“In Canada, the distinction between free speech and a hate crime is based on the balance between an individual’s right to express their opinions and the protection of vulnerable groups from harm,” the RCMP said in a press release.
“In this case, based on multiple communications from Runigan, charges were brought with public safety in mind.”
