A Canadian ISIS member caught in Syria and flown to the United States to stand trial should have been prosecuted in Canada, a lawyer representing his family said Monday.
“If there is evidence against Canadians who are being arbitrarily detained in northeast Syria, they should be brought home and prosecuted,” Lawrence Greenspon told Global News.
“I don’t think we should be relying on the United States to repatriate Canadians in this way.”
The U.S. Department of Justice said Saturday the FBI had taken custody of Mohammed Khalifa in Syria and transported him to Virginia to face a possible life sentence for terrorism.
While the RCMP has also been investigating the former Toronto IT worker, who was captured by Kurdish forces in January 2019, the Canadian government would not return him to Canada.
Known as the “voice of ISIS,” Khalifa is the first alleged Canadian ISIS member caught in Syria to be taken to the U.S.
Greenspon said he received no notice from Global Affairs Canada that the U.S. was taking custody of Khalifa, and wondered whether the government of Canada was even aware.
The charges were sworn in U.S. district court eight months ago, but it’s unclear Ottawa knew. Global Affairs Canada referred questions to the RCMP, which has not yet responded.
“Global Affairs Canada has indicated it is in contact with local authorities to gather additional information,” according to a statement from Public Safety Minister Bill Blair’s office.
2:44 Canadian ISIS member Mohammed Khalifa believes suicide bombings ‘acceptable’
Canadian ISIS member Mohammed Khalifa believes suicide bombings ‘acceptable’ – Oct 15, 2019
In an interview with Global News after he was captured, Khalifa admitted he was an ISIS fighter and had worked for the ISIS media department, narrating execution videos.
The RCMP subsequently obtained a court order requiring Global News to hand over its recording of the interview, conducted at a Kurdish military base in northeast Syria.
Documents filed in the case showed the RCMP was “investigating Mr. Khalifa for serious terrorism offences” including committing an indictable offence for the benefit of a terrorist group.
But after the Canadian government failed to bring him to Canada to face justice, the FBI took over, charged him and moved him to the U.S.
“To those who say, ‘Let our Canadians rot in prison over there,’ this is what should be done,” Greenspon said, although he added that Khalifa should have instead been flown to Canada.
The U.S. has repeatedly appealed to countries like Canada to repatriate and prosecute their citizens held at the Kurdish-run detention facilities.
Khalifa was one of 13 adult Canadians held by U.S.-back Kurdish fighters. Four men and eight women now remain, along with their children.
Canada has so far repatriated only two children.
Last week, Greenspon filed an application in Federal Court on behalf of the families of the detainees. It asks the court to order the government to return them.
The U.S. has charged Khalifa, a 38-year-old Saudi-born Canadian citizen, with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS. He was allegedly a “lead translator” of ISIS propaganda materials.
“Let there be no doubt, the FBI will hold terrorists and those who provide material support to terrorist organizations accountable for their actions,” said Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
