One of the Toronto men recently charged with alleged hate crimes and extremism against women and Jews was denied refugee status more than seven years ago, according to court records.
Government records obtained by Global News show Osman Azizov is an Azerbaijani citizen who, accompanied by his parents, crossed the border into Canada between official border crossings near Lacolle, Quebec, in 2017.
The Immigration and Refugee Board rejected the Aziz family's asylum claims in 2018, the Refugee Appeals Division rejected their appeal and the Federal Court declined to hear the case in 2019, records show.
But Azizov was nonetheless living in Toronto when he was arrested in August for allegedly trying to kidnap three women at gunpoint. Police announced the charges on December 19, saying they were “motivated by hatred.”
The 18-year-old and his co-accused, Farad Sadaat, 19, and Waleed Khan, 26, come face to face. almost 80 charges. Khan is also charged with terrorism offences, alleging that he is Islamic State supporter.
There is no public record to explain why Azizov was still living in Toronto after his refugee claim failed, and neither police nor his lawyer have commented.
But a friend told Global News that after the family's refugee claims were rejected, they applied to be allowed to remain in Canada. humanitarian and compassionate grounds and were adopted last year.
“They are all permanent residents,” said Jeyhun Ismailov, who said he knew the family when they lived in Azerbaijan and still keeps in touch with them now that they live in Toronto.
The case could raise new questions for the government about Canada's immigration system and public safety. increased security concerns following the anti-Semitic killings in Sydney, Australia.
The latest major ISIS attack to be foiled in Ontario has prompted MPs to hold committee hearings after… This was reported by Global News. about the alleged background of one of the suspects, who was born in Egypt.
Before coming to Canada and planning what police called a “serious, violent attack in Toronto” in 2024, Ahmed Fouad Eldidi allegedly appeared in an ISIS execution video in 2015, in which he could be seen hacking an Iraqi victim to pieces with a sword.
Despite his alleged role in ISIS, Eldidi was able to immigrate to Canada and gain citizenship weeks before he and his son were caught in a hotel room allegedly preparing to carry out an attack.
Although the government ordered a review of its screening system at the time, Global News repeatedly requested copies and other documents about the case, but the government did not release them.
The allegations have not yet been tested in court and the Eldidis have denied the allegations.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada did not respond to questions about Azizov. The RCMP referred questions to the Canada Border Services Agency, which also did not respond.
Peel Regional Police, which first brought charges against Azizov, referred questions to the Toronto Police Service, which declined to comment on his citizenship.
The Azerbaijani Embassy in Ottawa did not respond. Azizov's lawyer said he could not comment on the case or his client's background because the case was pending before the court.
“We call on the federal government to act quickly to protect Canadians, including through bail reform and faster and more effective immigration enforcement and screening,” said Howard Fremet, vice-president of the Center for Israeli and Jewish Affairs.
2017: Walk Across Canada
A man illegally crosses the border into Canada from the United States on Roxham Road in Quebec, two days before the Azizov family, March 5, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Graham Hughes.
Immigration records released by the Federal Court detail how a man with the same name and date of birth as Osman Azizov, who lived on the same street, entered Canada on foot as a minor and was intercepted by police.
The documents describe how Azizov left Baku, Azerbaijan, with his parents on February 18, 2017, when he was 11 years old. They flew to New York and paid a taxi driver from Brooklyn $1,500 to take them to the Canadian border.
“On March 7, 2017, we illegally crossed the border into Canada in a taxi and applied for refugee status,” his father told immigration authorities, according to the documents. They didn't stay in the U.S. because “I heard Canada is better in terms of providing asylum to refugees,” he added.
The government confiscated Azizov's passport and took the family to Montreal. They then headed to Toronto, where records show they moved into an apartment building in the Don Mills area.
Azizov’s parents brought their son with them to the refugee status hearing on May 9, 2018, declaring that they “had nowhere to leave him.” The Refugee Council considered his presence here inappropriate and canceled the hearing.
The hearing was adjourned until three months later.
“It is very important that you find someone to look after your son so that he does not have to come,” the IRB judge told Azizov’s parents.
The flag of Azerbaijan at the government building, flown at half-mast in memory of the victims of the plane crash, Baku, Azerbaijan, December 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Aziz Karimov).
The family's application for refugee status was based on the father's story that he worked as the head of the security service for the chairman of the International Bank of Azerbaijan, Jahangir Hajiyev, and his wife Zamira Hajiyeva.
In 2015, Hajiyev was arrested in Azerbaijan on fraud charges and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Since his wife owned property in the UK, British authorities seized assetswhich included a golf course and a $28 million home. His wife reportedly spent nearly $30 million on purchases at London department store Harrods.
After the banker's arrest, Azizov's father said that the Azerbaijani police had summoned him for questioning. Meanwhile, he said, his wife was beaten by local police. According to him, the police took their passports and demanded a bribe of 20 thousand dollars.
“After paying, our passports were returned and I was told to take my family and leave the country or we would be arrested and charged,” the father wrote in his refugee application.
But the Immigration and Refugee Board cast doubt on the story, noting that Azizov's father was in the tile business and there was no record of him being Gadzhiev's security chief.
The family's claims for refugee status were rejected on 17 October 2018 as “not credible”. They appealed and lost the decision on February 22, 2019, raising doubts about the authenticity of the documents they submitted to support their claims.
A month later, their lawyer took the case to the Federal Court, but on June 18, 2019, the judge rejected their appeal. Thereafter, there is no public record of their immigration status.
Fahad Sadaat (left), Osman Azizov (center) and Waleed Khan (above police photos of the suspect's car) confiscating the firearm, with the suspects on the right.
Peel Police
According to Toronto and Peel police, on May 31, 2025, three armed, masked men in a stolen car attempted to kidnap a woman at gunpoint in Toronto, but the crime was interrupted by a passing vehicle.
A similar incident occurred on June 24, this time in Mississauga, Ontario, when two women were attacked by three armed men who chased them until a bystander interrupted the attack.
Peel police Khan arrested and said they seized two “loaded prohibited firearms,” including an AR-style rifle capable of automatic fire, high-capacity magazines and 110 rounds of ammunition.
Khan, who was on probation for other offenses at the time, was charged with 33 counts related to attempted kidnapping but was then “released with an ankle monitor.”
Peel police continued to search for the two remaining suspects, described as Middle Eastern males in their late teens to early 20s. At the same time, photographs of the suspects were published.
Ten days later Police arrested Azizov and Sadaat. The investigation also evidence has appeared “Confirming involvement in threats to national security,” Peel Police Chief Nishan Duraiappa said.
Because police now suspected the crimes may have been motivated by hatred, extremism and terrorism, they contacted the RCMP's national security team, which launched a parallel investigation.
“The evidence raised serious concerns,” RCMP Assistant Commissioner Matt Peggs said in a statement. video statement after Khan was indicted on November 26 on multiple terrorism charges.
The charges allege that Khan provided support to ISIS and conspired to commit murder on behalf of the terrorist group. All three defendants are due back in court on January 29, 2026.
A friend of the Azizov family, Jeyhun Ismailov, said he warned Azizov about the “bad friends” he kept and asked him where they got their “expensive cars.” He recalled that Azizov brushed aside these concerns.
He said he believed Azizov was simply in the car with the others at the wrong time. Police said all three suspects were wearing balaclavas when the alleged kidnapping attempts took place.
“I am 100 percent sure that he is not that kind of person,” Ismailov said.
According to him, Azizov “does not hate anyone,” including Jews. When he saw Azizov on the news, he said he was sad because his family were “good people.”
“He's not bad.”
