An Ontario judge has denied Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich’s application for permission to travel outside Canada for her work as a journalist, as she continues to serve a conditional sentence related to her 2022 mischief conviction.
The Sept. 17 ruling by Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey concluded that allowing Lich to travel internationally for her work with media outlet Rebel News would conflict with the punitive and deterrent purpose of her conditional sentence.
However, the judge left open the possibility of Lich applying for permission for foreign travel in the future if there are “genuinely exceptional, specific, and time-limited circumstances.”
Lich was convicted of mischief in April 2025 for her role in organizing the Freedom Convoy, which saw thousands of protesters and vehicles converge in downtown Ottawa in early 2022 in opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The protest later evolved into a broader demonstration against pandemic restrictions.
In October 2025, Lich was handed an 18-month conditional sentence that included 12 months of house arrest.
Perkins-McVey noted in her Sept. 17 ruling that Lich has complied with the terms of her sentence but said there had been no material change in her circumstances that would justify altering its conditions.
Fellow convoy organizer Chris Barber was also convicted of mischief and counselling others to disobey a court order. Lich and Barber were found not guilty of intimidation, counselling intimidation, obstructing police, and counselling obstruction. Perkins-McVey imposed conditional sentences rather than the lengthy prison terms sought by the Crown.
In the wake of Perkins-McVey’s Sept. 17 ruling, Rebel News said that Lich, who is from Medicine Hat, Alta., is still allowed to travel between Canadian provinces on a case-by-case basis with permission from the supervisor overseeing her conditional sentence.
Lich was hired by Rebel News in December 2025 as a journalist and community ambassador.
In July, Lich asked the court for authorization to go on several trips related to her work with Rebel News, including attending press events at the White House, taking part in a Caribbean cruise with panel discussions organized by Rebel News, and travelling to Arizona to interview comedian Rob Schneider.
Rebel News CEO Ezra Levant filed an affidavit in support of Lich’s application for foreign travel, saying he believes the U.S. Embassy would help Lich and Rebel News in carrying out “important journalism in the U.S., including interviewing key newsmakers.”
During the July hearing, the Crown described Lich’s intended travel as “unnecessary” and said it would diminish the impact of her conditional sentence. Prosecutors also argued that allowing her to profit from work linked to her involvement in the convoy could bring “disrepute” to the judiciary.
Lich and Barber are both appealing their convictions, while the Crown is also appealing aspects of their sentences and their acquittals on various charges, including intimidation and obstructing police. The Crown’s appeal is expected to be heard in spring 2027.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
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