An Ontario man who allegedly made intimidating phone calls to a health-care worker has been charged under a federal law created last year amid protests against the government’s COVID-19 measures.
Louis Mertzelos, a 58-year-old resident of Windsor, allegedly made several phone calls to the office of Ottawa family physician Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth, according to an Oct. 13 news release from the Ottawa Police Service (OPS), which has issued a warrant for his arrest.
Mertzelos is facing four charges, including the hate-motivated offence of harassing communication, harassment by repeated communication, mischief, and intimidation of health service.
Kaplan-Myrth said she was targeted after appearing on a national television show urging people to keep wearing masks. She also told the Ottawa Citizen that the charges were laid over two calls made in early September, adding that such calls “occur all the time” and are primarily made by those she alleged to be “anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers.”…