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Chiheb Esseghaier, who was arrested Monday in Montreal’s Central Station, near the VIA terminus, declared Tuesday in court of the terror allegations against him: “The conclusions are drawn from words and facts that are not what they appear to be.”

In his first public appearance on charges of plotting to derail a VIA train on behalf of al Qaeda, the Tunisian-born PhD student offered the first clue of a defence strategy, to Quebec Court Judge Pierre Labelle, at the end of a brief court appearance in Montreal Tuesday.

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The judge said it was not the time to dispute the substance of the charges.

Mr. Esseghaier, 30, described in court records as having no fixed address, was not represented by a lawyer and declined the offer of one. He stood during his appearance, his hands handcuffed in front of him, wearing a blue and black ski jacket, jeans and sneakers. He has a thick black beard and glasses.

He was arrested shortly after noon Monday in a McDonald’s restaurant inside Montreal’s rail hub. He offered no resistance as two uniformed and two plainclothes Mounties escorted him out of the restaurant to an area near the station’s taxi stand. One driver filmed the arrest on his cell phone, and others who saw the video said the arrest was “very calm,” and police did not draw their weapons. Inside the train station, the arrest was not even noticed, said one Via employee who did not want to be named.