A Toronto-based activist organization has demanded that the United States free an alleged Iranian proxy commander accused of coordinating attacks on Jewish, Israeli, and dissident targets across Europe and North America.

Al-Ahrar Palestinian Prisoner Support issued a statement calling for the immediate release of Kataib Hezbollah commander Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi. The Iraqi national was extradited from Turkey and charged by the US Department of Justice in May with multiple terrorism-related offenses tied to 18 incidents attributed to Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia.

The group described the American legal action as a violent overreach and portrayed the alleged operations as legitimate wartime resistance. It urged supporters to rally behind Al-Saadi and reject efforts to criminalize his activities.

In its statement, Al-Ahrar praised Al-Saadi for his ties to former IRGC Quds Force leader Qassem Soleimani and framed his case as part of broader resistance against imperialism. The organization also criticized Turkey for detaining and handing over the suspect, accusing Ankara of offering only empty rhetoric in support of campaigns against Israel.

Comparisons to other cases and calls for solidarity

Al-Ahrar linked Al-Saadi to other individuals it views as political prisoners, including the shooter at the Washington DC Capital Jewish Museum and activists involved in property damage campaigns in Britain. The group argued that such figures face racist prosecution for opposing state policies and urged activists to join efforts for his freedom.

The organization noted its affiliation with Masar Badil, a network that shares personnel with the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, which several countries have designated as a terrorist entity due to its connections with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Legal proceedings and international context

Al-Saadi entered a not-guilty plea during his arraignment, telling the court that the situation amounted to war. Prosecutors charged him with conspiring to support Kataib Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, providing material support for terrorism, and planning attacks including one targeting a New York City synagogue.

The Canadian group also defended a March shooting incident near the US consulate in Toronto, claiming the facility symbolized colonial policies. Canada and more than twenty other nations have condemned recent operations linked to Iranian-backed groups on their soil.