A Moroccan man convicted on terrorism charges in Quebec nearly 20 years ago has been denied parole after the Parole Board of Canada asserted he remains a "significant" and "concerning" risk to the public.

The decision was reportedly handed down earlier this month on December 9, with Global News being granted a redacted version of the ruling on Friday.

Said Namouh, 52,  joined an Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist group called the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF) after immigrating to Canada in 2003, according to Global News.

He began working with GIMF operatives in Europe in 2006 in an attempt to use violence — specifically a suicide bomb attack — to further the group's extremist religious objectives.

Namouh was eventually arrested in 2007 and convicted on four counts of terrorism-related charges. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2010, but the conditions allowed him to begin applying for parole after 10 years of incarceration. 

The Parole Board that denied him bail on December 9 stated in its ruling that “no signs of de-radicalization have been observed” in Namouh. 

The convicted terrorist reportedly refused to participate in a psychological risk assessment, and the Parole Board has labelled Namouh as having a “significant/concerning risk of violent recidivism.”

The Parole Board noted that Namouh has been leading Muslim prayers in prison despite being ordered not to, and received a warning from prison officials regarding "religious pamphlets" found in his cell. It also asserted that Namouh's current claims that he no longer believes in “jihad aimed at fighting injustice and oppression,” cannot be trusted.

The Moroccan immigrant was previously “convinced that it was justified to give your life for jihad,” and believed in “ideas promoting violence in the name of your religion," the Parole Board stated.

Namouh was one of the first people to be convicted under Canada's anti-terrorism laws that were enacted in response to the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks in New York City, where Al Qaeda terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people.

The parole ruling comes amid heightened security tensions in Canada as three men in Toronto were charged just last week for hate-related offences targeting Jews and women.

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