Alleged Toronto ISIS attack plotter lived in Egypt, studied at U.S. college

A 26-year-old Toronto man accused of plotting a deadly ISIS-inspired rampage previously lived in Egypt and once studied at a U.S. university, CBC News has learned.

Mostafa Eldidi and his father, Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, were arrested last month and charged with terrorism offences over what police described as a plan to carry out «a serious, violent attack in Toronto.»

On Thursday, Mostafa Eldidi's lawyer, Nate Jackson, appeared in court on his behalf for the first time. He told the court he would be meeting with his new client in person in jail on Friday.

«I look forward to vigorously defending Mostafa Eldidi's innocence,» Jackson told CBC.

The RCMP have said the elder Eldidi, 62, holds Canadian citizenship, but that his son does not.

While little is known about Mostafa Eldidi's past, his social media presence provides some clues about his whereabouts in recent years.

He studied at Iowa Wesleyan University, a now-defunct private liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

«Our records do not indicate he earned a degree,» the University of Iowa's registrar's office said in an email. The university has handled transcript requests for Iowa Wesleyan since the school closed last year.

"[Mostafa Eldidi] attended Iowa Wesleyan University in spring of 2020. We do not have any other records or information beyond that."

It's not clear when he came to Canada, but a Facebook picture posted in April 2021 appears to show Mostafa Eldidi, with his distinctive long, curly hair, in front of the east Toronto detached house now listed in court records as the family's residence.

A man who identified himself outside the home as Mostafa's brother earlier this week declined to comment on the criminal