Threats against doctors: Windor man faces charges in Ottawa

NOTE: Some of the language used in this story is offensive.

Ottawa police have issued an arrest warrant for a Windsor, Ontario man. man after anti-Semitic threats were made against a local family doctor.

Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth says she has been the target of anti-Semitic messages and death threats for her work administering COVID-19 vaccines and advocating for public health protections during the pandemic. The threats were amplified after an appearance on TVO’s The Agenda in early September during which she wore a mask while speaking on the air from her Ottawa clinic.

Kaplan-Myrth shared a message on his Twitter account shortly after appearing on television to say that his clinic had received a phone call containing an anti-Semitic slur.

“The Ottawa police suggested that I change my office phone number. Yeah, no,” she said, indicating that she had reported the call under Bill C-3, which makes it a criminal offense to harass doctors.

In a news release, Ottawa police say a warrant has been issued for Louis Mertzelos, 58, of Windsor, on charges of hate-motivated harassment communications, harassment by repeated communications, mischief and intimidation of health services in connection with multiple threats made. by telephone. Anyone who knows his whereabouts has been asked to call Ottawa Police at 613-236-1222.

Kaplan-Myrth said on Twitter Thursday that this is the first time a Canadian has faced a charge under Bill C-3.

« I wasn’t kidding when I said there was no tolerance for doctor harassment or anti-Semitic hatred (or any form of racism/bigotism). It’s about holding hateful and threatening people accountable,” she said.

Kaplan-Myrth expressed support for COVID-19 protections, including masks and vaccination throughout the pandemic. She ran several « Jabapalooza » clinics, which administered thousands of doses of COVID-19 vaccines to residents.

The threat under police investigation is not the only one she has received. Kaplan-Myrth also shared an audio recording of a voicemail that she said was from a Toronto area code in which a man can be heard yelling and using misogynistic slurs.

Kaplan-Myrth is also a candidate for a school trustee position with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board in the Oct. 24 municipal election.