A 38-year-old man from Ontario, facing a rare charge for leaking sensitive information under Canada’s state secrets law, has been deemed not criminally responsible after sharing details about vulnerabilities in a nuclear power plant in a YouTube video. James Alexander Mousaly, an employee of Ontario Power Generation, was found to be suffering from bipolar disorder and psychosis at the time of livestreaming the information on January 30, 2024. The video, which lasted 22 minutes, was taken down by family members within a day, with minimal viewership.
In the video, Mousaly, portrayed as a whistleblower, discussed potential threats to nuclear facilities and offered assistance to cause harm to such sites. An expert from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission confirmed that the video revealed classified information about a vulnerability in a Canadian nuclear plant. Ontario Power Generation expressed concerns that the disclosed information could be used to optimize attacks on nuclear facilities.
Mousaly, who had worked at a nuclear plant near Toronto, had his site access revoked prior to the incident. His lawyer stated that Mousaly’s intention was not to cause harm but to prompt authorities to shut down nuclear power plants for public safety. The court mandated his detention in a specialized mental health facility pending review by a mental health board.
The charge against Mousaly falls under Section 16(1) of Canada’s Security of Information Act, now known as the Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act. This case marks the third instance of charges under this act reaching a court decision, following convictions of other individuals for similar offenses in the past.