A Quebec man has been sentenced to 15 months in jail and three years of probation for promoting hatred against Jews. Quebec court Judge Manlio Del Negro delivered the sentence in a Montreal courtroom, stating that Gabriel Sohier Chaput has not fully understood the gravity of his actions or the harm he has caused to society.
Sohier Chaput was found guilty in January after a judge determined that a 2017 article published on the neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer actively promoted hatred toward Jewish people. He was a frequent contributor to the website, having written over 800 articles for the publication, which is named after the Nazi-era propaganda newspaper Der Sturmer.
Both the prosecution and the defense had recommended a three-month prison sentence followed by probation. However, Judge Del Negro expressed concern that such a lenient sentence would downplay the seriousness of the crime. In July, he made the decision to impose a 15-month jail term instead.
Sohier Chaput has admitted to writing a portion of the article that led to the charges. However, he argued that the article was meant to be taken ironically and that it employed humor and exaggeration. Nevertheless, the court found him guilty, emphasizing the harm caused by promoting hatred against a specific group of people.