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Alexandre Bissonnette, who pleaded guilty to killing six men at a Quebec City mosque in 2017, is requesting to be moved to a medium-security prison, citing safety concerns.
The gunman opened fire in the Islamic Cultural Centre in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood nearly 10 years ago in an attack that left 19 injured and 17 children fatherless.
Bissonnette resided at the regional mental health centre in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Que., from 2019 to 2023. He has been serving a life sentence at the Port-Cartier Institution, a maximum-security prison, since September 2023.
But his lawyer, Sylvie Bordelais, argues that he could remain in a medium-security facility, given the results of several psychological analyses conducted during his detention — most recently in 2025 and 2026.
A petition filed this week claims Bissonnette has merited to be moved to a medium-security prison for years.
It cites a psychological risk evaluation from 2025 that found the change in environment was “very difficult for him, notably due to the mediatization of his offense, which generated intimidation and violence on the part of other inmates,” reads the petition.
Despite the recommendation, the petition says Bissonnette was transferred to Port-Cartier a few years ago, hundreds of kilometres away from his parents, who reportedly have supported him since his incarceration.
Since then, the document says he has participated in restorative justice and that despite the violence he’s experienced, he has not used violence against others.
In 2019, Bissonnette’s parents issued an open letter questioning the severity of the minimum 40-year sentence handed down to their son. In their letter, they blamed the Crown for encouraging a “desire for revenge” and point out that the bullying Bissonnette endured “had devastating effects on his personality.”
The petition requesting his transfer outlines that Bissonnette’s current condition at Port-Cartier is a violation of his Charter rights and “does not guarantee his life or security by subjecting him to a cruel and unusual treatment.”
“Forcing an individual whose mental health is fragile to live in a place where some inmates have nothing to lose and can make a name for themselves by assassinating him, is not part of the correctional services’ mandate,” reads the petition.
His lawyer claims concerns over public outcry are the only reason he is being kept at a security level that does not correspond to what he requires.
