2 Alberta men charged with uttering threats against Trudeau online

A 67-year-old Edmonton man has been charged for allegedly posting threats to kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh.

The man is facing three Criminal Code counts of uttering threats against a person, RCMP said in a news release Monday.

Threats allegedly made by a YouTube account user were reported to the RCMP Federal Policing Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) on June 7.

The man was charged on June 13 and is scheduled to appear in court in Edmonton on Thursday, RCMP said.

After a separate investigation, a 23-year-old Calgary man was charged on June 6 for allegedly posting threats to kill Trudeau on X, formerly known as Twitter. He is scheduled to appear in a Calgary courtroom on Tuesday.

«In the digital age, where so many interactions occur online and are perceived to be anonymous, there is a belief that virtual actions and words do not have consequences,» Insp. Matthew Johnson, acting head of the northwest region's INSET team, said in the release

«When these virtual actions or words cross the boundaries of Charter-protected speech and constitute criminal activity, police will investigate thoroughly to hold those responsible accountable.»

The RCMP said in the news release that the security environment for public figures is evolving within Canada and abroad and that it recognizes the need for increased vigilance.

Multiple individuals have been charged with uttering threats online against Trudeau, including a Montreal man who was charged in February.

The House of Commons sergeant-at-arms said in May that harassment of MPs has jumped almost 800 per cent in the last five years.

More recently, the RCMP assistant commissioner in charge of