Calgary teen arrested on terrorism-related charges granted peace bond
Posted Jan 6, 2024 10:58 am.
Last Updated Jan 6, 2024 11:47 am.
A Calgary teen arrested on terrorism-related charges, who allegedly said on social media that he wanted to join ISIS, has been granted a peace bond.
The 15-year-old boy, who can’t be named due to provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was in court with his lawyer and family Friday.
He is one of four teens who has been arrested on terrorism-related charges, linked to posts on TikTok and other social media sites since June.
Cpl. Courtney Currie of the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team testified that the teen asked 20-year-old Calgary man Zackarya Rida Hussein if he would like to come with him to Iraq. She also said they held private conversations.
Hussein pleaded guilty to one count of facilitating terrorist activity back in December.
A peace bond is an acknowledgement that there are reasonable grounds to believe a person could commit a criminal offence, but it’s not believed they actually have committed one. Peace bonds have different conditions depending upon the defendant.
Currie also said the boy was a member of pro-Islamic State group chats that included participants from around the world, including Calgary, who posted graphic videos of beheadings and murders.
The youth told officers he was referred to the Snapchat group to learn about religion, and he believed the group chats were a good thing.
The court heard the teen posted several ISIS propaganda videos.
In addition, Currie testified the teen threatened to rape and kill an unnamed woman and posted a picture of a pride flag burning.
Currie says when RCMP extracted data from the youth’s phone they found a picture of Saddam Hussein and the killers responsible for the Columbine shooting.
When asked by the RCMP if he would commit a terrorist attack, the youth, according to Currie, said: “Not in real life.”
The teen was arrested by police in October.
Meanwhile, a threat assessment performed on the youth found that he had a low risk for violence.
It added, however, that he’s “extremely impressionable and susceptible to interpersonal influence.”
“Therefore, (he) poses a high risk of joining an extremist group while playing a supportive role in said group.”
The boy’s lawyer, James Molloy, didn’t dispute the officer’s testimony or call any evidence.
“I’ve discussed this with my client … and our position is to consent,” he said.
Justice Jennifer Chaften granted the peace bond under several conditions that include regular reporting to a probation officer, not associating with anyone connected to a terrorist group, not using any social media platforms and participating in an intervention program.
He is also not allowed to be within 200 metres of a 2SLGBTQ+ event or protest.
“Obey your mom and dad, and go to school,” Shafton told the teen. “That’s all you’ve got to do. Right? It’s easy.”
He replied: “Ya, of course.”
The youth must follow the conditions for one year.
The boy’s case will be reviewed in eight months to determine whether he’s complying with the conditions.
A 17-year-old Calgarian who was arrested in June as part of the same national security investigation also agreed to conditions as part of a one-year peace bond in December.
In addition, a 16-year-old boy who was the fourth Calgarian arrested in December on terrorism-related charges made a brief court appearance Friday with his lawyer and father.
His case was postponed until later in January.
An Ottawa teenager was also arrested in mid-December and charged in connection with an alleged plot against that city’s Jewish community.
