Bail hearing for Halifax man charged in U.S. consulate bomb threat case delayed again
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HALIFAX – A bail hearing for a man accused of making a bomb threat against the U.S. Consulate in Halifax was adjourned for a second consecutive day on Wednesday as police continued their investigation into the high-profile case.
Halifax resident Ali Assakereh was charged Tuesday with uttering threats and public mischief after police said they found his vehicle parked near the consulate with a propane tank and flammable liquids inside.
Police have said more charges could be laid and the 54-year-old suspect remains in custody.
The hearing on Wednesday was adjourned until Friday morning at the request of Assakereh’s legal aid lawyer, Lonny Queripel.
Investigators have confirmed the consulate reported the bomb threat on Sunday at 6:15 p.m., and they say the suspect was quickly identified.
The discovery of the vehicle and a suspicious bag on Monday at 8:10 a.m. prompted a temporary evacuation of several downtown buildings, including the waterfront office complex that houses the consulate.
Assakereh was arrested in the city’s west end about 25 minutes later.
By 2 p.m., an explosives expert determined the tank and liquids posed no threat to public safety and the evacuation orders were lifted.
During his brief bail hearing on Tuesday, Assakereh told an Arabic interpreter that he wanted to present evidence showing the racism he and his family have experienced, though he did not provide details. He told provincial court Judge Del Atwood that he wanted to bring supporting documents to court.
As well, the interpreter told the court that Assakereh was alleging that he and his family were being threatened by “the war, police, security people and even the welfare, income assistance (people).”
And as the hearing drew to a close, Assakereh asked if the interpreter could be replaced by someone who spoke Farsi, the language used mainly in Iran.
The hearing adjourned when Crown attorney Brennan MacDonald was granted more time to collect information from police.
The alleged bomb threat in Halifax came less than a week after two suspects were charged with shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto in July — the second such incident at the building this year. A 19-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy are facing more than a dozen charges.
The consulate in Toronto was also struck by gunfire on March 10. An 18-year-old and a 19-year-old are facing charges.
No one was injured in either shooting.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2026.