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Toronto (March 10, 2025) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) expresses deep disappointment that a Brantford, Ont. man found guilty of promoting hatred and advocating genocide against Jews has received a minimal sentence. Despite Crown prosecutors recommending a seven-year sentence, Leslie Bory was sentenced today to time served — nearly two years in jail — with only an additional year of probation.

Earlier today, FSWC Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy Jaime Kirzner-Roberts testified in the case against Bory, who was arrested in February 2023. This past January, he was found guilty of advocating genocide, wilful promotion of hatred and uttering threats.

In videos posted online, Bory glorified Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, denied the Holocaust, spread antisemitic conspiracy theories and called for violence against Jewish people, police and specific politicians. He also reportedly encouraged his audience to join him at his home “with their firearms,” where police later discovered a large quantity of ammunition.

“Antisemitic hate speech, such as Mr. Bory’s, does far more than offend the Jewish community — it actively strips Jews of their fundamental rights as Canadians to live freely and without fear,” said Kirzner-Roberts in court today on behalf of Canada’s Jewish community. “It isolates and marginalizes Jewish individuals, making them targets for violence and discrimination and forcing them to live with the constant anxiety of being vilified, attacked or harmed simply for their identity. Such speech does not just impact its immediate victims; it poisons the atmosphere of society, undermining the core Canadian values of inclusivity, safety and mutual respect.”

FSWC is deeply concerned about the leniency of the sentencing, which fails to reflect the severity of the crimes committed. At the same time, the organization is grateful to the Brantford Police Service for their leadership in moving this case forward, as well as to the Crown prosecutors for their efforts in seeking justice.

“This sentence does not adequately reflect the severity of Bory’s actions and sends a troubling message about the consequences of promoting hatred and violence,” said Kirzner-Roberts. “Advocating genocide is one of the most serious crimes imaginable, and those who spread such dangerous rhetoric must be held fully accountable under the law. Once again, the Jewish community is left with the disturbing impression that threats to our safety are not being met with the seriousness they deserve by Canada’s justice system.”

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