Trial begins for alleged neo-Nazi figure at Montreal courthouse

The trial of an alleged neo-Nazi figure accused of spreading hate online began Monday at the Montreal courthouse.

Gabriel Sohier Chaput, who also went by the “Zeiger” alias online, was charged with the wilful promotion of hatred and was accused of attempting to recruit others to join the neo-Nazi movement.

On Monday, he pleaded not guilty to the criminal charge, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

Before his arrest, he was a prolific writer for neo-Nazi forums and for The Daily Stormer, a popular U.S. extreme, right-wing website.

Police officers testified Monday about articles from the website. Prosecutors allege Sohier Chaput spread anti-Semitic rhetoric in an article on the site in 2017 under the Zeiger moniker.

His identity was revealed in an investigative report by the Montreal Gazette in May 2018. The report linked the online “Zeiger” figure to an IT consultant in his early 30s living in Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie.

Anti-hate activists also spotted him in a Vice News documentary on the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., that resulted in the death of one person and dozens of injuries. He appeared in the footage of the rally where supporters of the “Unite the Right” movement were interviewed.

Six months after the Montreal Gazette report was published, Montreal police issued a warrant for his arrest.

B'nai Brith Canada, a Jewish advocacy group, filed a police complaint against him. A lawyer with the group told CTV News that while these types of complaints are more commonly handled by human rights tribunals, it was important to take this case to criminal court.

“It starts with Jews, Black people, Asians today, but everyone is part of a group that can be discriminated against,” said Michal Schlesinger, senior human rights liaison with B'nai Brith Canada, in an interview with CTV on Monday. 

"Wilful promotion of hatred is something that has to be vigorousl prosecuted to keep our communities and our democracies safe. Since this sort of hatred we're talking about sets the stage for violence, it cannot be treated gingerly. It has to find itself in the criminal courts. Frankly, this kind of hate is a danger to multiple communities."

Around the time his identity was revealed, Vice labelled Chaput as “Canada’s most infamous neo-Nazi” in an online report, quoting one expert as saying he was “a big player” in extreme circles of the far-right.

Since he was outed, his online posts on various platforms have disappeared.

The trial continues all week.