[JURIST] A Canadian court on Thursday sentenced Saad Khalid to 14 years in prison for his involvement in plotting to attack targets in Toronto, Canada [JURIST report]. Khalid, one of the so-called "Toronto 18" [Toronto Star backgrounder; advocacy website], was credited with seven years [Toronto Star report] for time served. Khalid pleaded guilty in May to one count of participating in a militant plot with the intention of causing an explosion. He had argued that he was not the leader of the group. The court accepted that argument but still found that he had a fairly high degree of responsibility. Khalid's lawyer said his client is content with the outcome and has no plans to appeal [CBC report] the sentence.

The "Toronto 18," arrested in 2006, are accused of planning a series of violent attacks on civilians, public officials, and government buildings. Although little information was released about the minors arrested among the Toronto 18, the charges eventually laid against the 12 adult males included participating in a terrorist group, receiving training from a terrorist group, training terrorists, and importing weapons and ammunition for terrorism. In May, one of the group's members, the first person convicted under Canada's post-9/11 terrorism law was sentenced to 36 months [JURIST reports] in prison and released by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice [official website] in consideration of the time he had already served.