One of the Toronto men recently charged with alleged hate and extremism-motivated crimes targeting women and Jews was denied refugee status more than seven years ago, according to court records.
Government records obtained by Global News show that Osman Azizov is an Azerbaijani citizen who, accompanied by his parents, crossed into Canada between official border points near Lacolle, Que., in 2017.
The Immigration and Refugee Board rejected the Azizov family’s asylum claims in 2018, the Refugee Appeal Division denied their appeal, and the Federal Court declined to review the case in 2019, the records indicate.
But Azizov was nonetheless living in Toronto when he was arrested in August for allegedly trying to kidnap three women at gunpoint. Police announced the charges on Dec. 19, saying they were “motivated by hate.”
The 18-year-old and his co-accused, Farad Sadaat, 19, and Waleed Khan, 26, face almost 80 charges. Khan has also been charged with terrorism offences that allege he is a supporter of the Islamic State.
There is no public record explaining why Azizov was still living in Toronto so long after his bid for refugee status failed, and neither the police nor his lawyer would comment.
But a friend told Global News that after the family’s refugee claims were unsuccessful, they applied to stay in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds and were accepted last year.
“They are all permanent residents,” said Jeyhun Ismayilov, who said he knew the family when they lived in Azerbaijan and is still in touch with them now that they are living in Toronto.
The case could raise new questions for the government about Canada’s immigration system and public safety amid heightened security concerns following the antisemitic killings in Sydney, Australia.
The last significant ISIS-inspired attack that was disrupted in Ontario led MPs to hold committee hearings after Global News reported on the alleged past of one of the Egyptian-born suspects.
Before arriving in Canada and planning what police called a “serious, violent attack in Toronto” in 2024, Ahmed Fouad Eldidi had allegedly appeared in a 2015 ISIS execution video in which he could be seen hacking up an Iraqi victim with a sword.
Despite his suspected role in ISIS, Eldidi was able to immigrate to Canada and obtain citizenship weeks before he and his son were caught in a hotel room as they were allegedly preparing to conduct an attack.
Although the government ordered a review of its security screening system at the time, Global News has repeatedly requested a copy and other documents about the case, but the government has not released any.
The charges have not yet been tested in court, and the Eldidis have denied the allegations.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada did not respond to questions about Azizov. The RCMP referred questions to the Canada Border Services Agency, which also did not respond.
Peel Regional Police, which first pressed charges against Azizov, referred questions to the Toronto Police Service, which declined to comment about his citizenship.
The Azerbaijan embassy in Ottawa did not respond. Azizov’s lawyer said he could not comment on his client’s case or background since the matter was before the courts.
“We urge the federal government to act swiftly to protect Canadians, including through bail reform and faster, more effective immigration enforcement and screening,” said Howard Fremeth, vice-president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
Immigration records released by the Federal Court detail how a man with the same name and birthdate as Osman Azizov, and who lived on the same street, entered Canada on foot as a minor and was intercepted by police.
The documents describe how Azizov left Baku, Azerbaijan, with his parents on Feb. 18, 2017, when he was 11 years old. They flew to New York and paid a Brooklyn cab driver $1,500 to take them to the Canadian border.
“On March 7, 2017, we crossed the border to Canada illegally with a taxi and made a refugee claim,” his father told immigration authorities, according to the documents. They didn’t stay in the U.S. because “I heard that Canada is better in terms of refugee asylum,” he added.
The government seized Azizov’s passport and took the family to Montreal. They then made their way to Toronto, where they moved into an apartment block in the Don Mills neighbourhood, according to the records.
At their refugee hearing on May 9, 2018, Azizov’s parents brought their son along, claiming they had “no place to leave him.” The Refugee Board felt it was inappropriate for him to be there and cancelled the hearing.
The hearing was rescheduled for three months later.
“It is very important that you find someone to look after your son so he doesn’t have to attend,” the IRB judge told Azizov’s parents.
The family’s refugee claim was based on the father’s story of having worked as the head of security for the chair of the International Bank of Azerbaijan, Jahangir Hajiyev, and his wife, Zamira Hajiyeva.
In 2015, Hajiyev was arrested in Azerbaijan for fraud and sentenced to 16 years. Because his wife owned property in the U.K., British authorities seized the assets, which included a golf course and a $28-million home. His wife had reportedly spent almost $30 million shopping at London department store Harrods.
Following the banker’s arrest, Azizov’s father said the Azerbaijani police summoned him for questioning. His wife, meanwhile, was beaten by local police, he said. Police took their passports and demanded a $20,000 bribe, he claimed.
“On payment, our passports were returned and I was told to take my family and get out of the country or we would be arrested and charged,” the father wrote in his refugee claim.
But the Immigration and Refugee Board called the story into question, noting that Azizov’s father was in the tile business and there was no record of him having been Hajiyev’s security boss.
The family’s refugee claims were rejected on Oct. 17, 2018, as “not credible.” They appealed and lost in a Feb. 22, 2019, decision that raised doubts about the authenticity of the documents they had submitted to support their claims.
A month later, their lawyer took their case to the Federal Court, but a judge dismissed their appeal on June 18, 2019. There is no public record of their immigration status after that.
On May 31, 2025, three masked gunmen driving a stolen car tried to abduct a woman at gunpoint in Toronto, but the crime was interrupted by a passing vehicle, according to Toronto and Peel police.
A similar incident occurred on June 24, this time in Mississauga, Ont., when two women were targeted by a trio of armed men, who chased them until a passerby disrupted the attack.
Peel police arrested Khan and said they had seized two “loaded prohibited firearms,” including an AR-style rifle capable of automatic fire, over-capacity magazines and 110 rounds of ammunition.
Khan, who was on probation for other offences at the time, was charged with 33 counts related to the kidnapping attempts, but was then “released with an ankle monitor.”
Peel police continued to look for the two remaining suspects, described as Middle Eastern males in their late teens to mid-20s. Photos of suspects were released at the time.
Ten days later, police arrested Azizov and Sadaat. The investigation also turned up evidence “confirming involvement in national security threats,” Peel police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said.
Since police now suspected the crimes were possibly motivated by hate, extremism and terrorism, they contacted the RCMP national security team, which launched a parallel investigation.
“The evidence was of significant concern,” RCMP Assistant Commissioner Matt Peggs said in a video statement after Khan was charged with multiple counts of terrorism on Nov. 26.
The charges allege that Khan provided support to ISIS and conspired to commit murder for the benefit of a terrorist group. All three co-accused are scheduled to return to court on Jan. 29, 2026.
The Azizovs’ family friend, Jeyhun Ismayilov, said he had warned Azizov about the “bad friends” he was keeping, and asked him where they got their “expensive cars.” Azizov brushed off the concerns, he recalled.
He said he believed Azizov was simply in a vehicle with the others at the wrong time. Police said all three suspects were wearing balaclavas when the alleged kidnapping attempts occurred.
“I am 100 per cent sure that he’s not that type of guy,” Ismayilov said.
Azizov “doesn’t hate anyone,” including Jews, he said. When he saw Azizov in the news, he said he was saddened because the family are “nice people.”
“He’s not bad.”
