An accused synagogue attacker has been hit with the very rare hate crime charge for which the Liberal government once controversially wanted a life sentence as punishment.

Despite this – and despite allegedly being caught with three loaded handguns and being accused of an eight-month antisemitic crime spree – he’s been released on bail.

Amir Arvahi Azar, 32, has been charged by Toronto Police with 29 criminal counts, including “advocating genocide,” a charge that police noted was “rarely laid in Canada.”