Montreal man charged with threatening on X to kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

The opening page of X is displayed on a computer and phone in Sydney, Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. Australia's online safety watchdog has fined X, formerly known as Twitter, $385,000 for failing to explain how it tackles child sexual exploitation on the social media platform. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

A Montreal man is facing charges in relation to death threats made to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media.

The RCMP says that it opened an investigation on Jan. 31 after Paul Clarissou, 30, allegedly "threatened to kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on his X (formerly Twitter) account."

RCMP spokesperson Seargeant Charles Poirier said that it is not the first time in Quebec that the RCMP has investigated threats made towards Trudeau. The number of these crimes is increasing, he added.

"We have seen more of those incidents since the COVID pandemic, and have consequently adapted our resources to effectively monitor the web," said Poirier. "We're therefore in a better situation to prevent real threats."

The RCMP's Integrated National Security Enforcement Team led the investigation.

Clarissou is appearing in court in Montreal on Wednesday and is facing a charge of uttering threats.

Police note threats that can affect a person's sense of security are taken seriously and "violent statements will not be tolerated."

According to criminal law, the maximum penalty for uttering threats is five years in prison.