A native of Lebanon, Diab obtained dual Canadian citizenship in the 1990s and teaches sociology and anthropology part-time at both the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. In interviews last year with the Ottawa Citizen and France's Le Figaro newspaper, he denied any involvement in the Paris synagogue attack.
The Oct. 3, 1980, bombing on Rue Copernic, in a posh district of Paris, was triggered by high explosives planted in the saddlebags of a motorcycle parked outside the building. The blast killed three Frenchmen and a young Israeli woman. Hundreds of worshippers gathered inside the synagogue for a Sabbath service were to emerge minutes later.
No one claimed responsibility, but the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-Special Operations was later blamed.
As one of the first contemporary terrorist strikes on a synagogue outside the Middle East, the blast led to the fortification of Jewish sites across Europe and North America, and a massive wave of anti-Semitism across France.
The break in the case came in September 2007 when German authorities discovered an old membership list for the now-defunct PFLP-SO, prompting a new French magistrate to reactivate the investigation.
A month later, Le Figaro, quoting unnamed sources, reported that French authorities suspected Diab was the leader of the small commando team responsible for the attack and asked Canada for assistance with their investigation
The French magazine L'Express reported Thursday that a team of French police, magistrates and intelligence officers have been in Canada working on the case and would try to arrange Diab's extradition to France.
The Reuters news agency, meanwhile, said the French arrest warrant accuses Diab of making and planting the bomb.
Citing French jurisdiction over the case, the RCMP refused Thursday to confirm Diab as the arrest suspect, though a justice department official did confirm his arrest. The RCMP would only say an individual was arrested at an address in Gatineau, Que., on a warrant issued under the Extradition Act and executed under the Mutual Legal Assistant Treaty at the request of French authorities.
Soon after details of the renewed French investigation were reported last year, Diab issued a statement to the Ottawa Citizen through his lawyer, stating he had no involvement in the bombing, no criminal record and was never a member of the Palestinian group or knew anyone associated with the group. Nor, he added, has he been active with any other militant organizations.
Duval at the time said his client was open to meeting with French authorities for questioning in Canada, in accordance with Canadian legal process, but that offer was never accepted.
Bernie Farber, CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress, applauded French and Canadian authorities for their work on the case, though he stressed the allegations against Diab have yet to be proven in court.
"The importance of this case is that authorities are giving a very strong message, letting people know that terrorist acts, no matter how long ago they were committed, remain a very serious matter and justice will be brought in the end," he said.
