Five facts about two men who plotted to derail a Via passenger train

TORONTO – Raed Jaser and Chiheb Esseghaier were found guilty Friday on terrorism charges in connection with a plot to derail a Via Rail passenger train travelling between Canada and the U.S. Here are five facts about each man:

Raed Jaser:

— Born in 1977 in the United Arab Emirates, and is of Palestinian descent.

— Entered Canada in 1993 and applied for refugee status but was denied.

— Arrested on a deportation order in August 2004 but his removal from Canada wasn’t possible because he was considered a stateless person.

— Granted permanent residency in 2012.

— Lived in the Greater Toronto Area with his wife at the time of his arrest.

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Chiheb Esseghaier:

— Born in 1982 in Tunisia.

— Arrived in Canada in 2008 on a student visa.

— Travelled to Iran twice in pursuit of jihad.

— Representing himself at trial after failing to find a lawyer who would follow the rules of the Qur’an.

— Was a PhD student at a Quebec university at the time of his arrest.