[JURIST] A Canadian court on Friday sentenced a member of the "Toronto 18" [Toronto Star backgrounder; advocacy website] to seven years in prison for his role in the plot to carry out terrorist attacks in Toronto. Ali Mohamed Dirie pleaded guilty [JURIST report] last month to charges of participating in the activities of a terrorist group. Dirie was given credit [Toronto Star report] for five years already spent in custody and will serve two more years in prison. He will be eligible for parole in one year. Also last week, a third suspect, Saad Gaya, pleaded guilty [Globe and Mail report] to involvement in the plot.

Dirie's sentence comes less than a month after the first member of the group to plead guilty was sentenced [JURIST report] to 14 years in prison for his role in connection with the plot. 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. The "Toronto 18," arrested [JURIST report] 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.