Police in Canada have arrested one man for lying about his involvement with the Islamic State, while another has been charged with joining a terrorist group in Syria.
Police on Friday announced the charges against 25-year-old Sheroz Chaudhry, who carried out the operation under the name Abu Hazaifah al-Qanadi. He was charged under the country’s Terrorism Fraud Act, which carries a maximum sentence of five years.
In 2016, Chaudhry claimed to have traveled to Syria to join the Islamic State, alleging that he was a member of the terrorist group’s religious police. On social media, he claimed to have carried out at least two executions on behalf of the group.
Chaudhry gained more notoriety as the subject of Khilafat, a New York Times polycast. In the interview he described in detail the horrific killings of innocent civilians.
After the podcast aired, the MPs were outraged that Chaudhry was running free. “When will the Prime Minister stop allowing these bloody terrorists to walk our streets and instead imprison them?” Conservative MLA James Bess said during a session of Parliament.
Over the years, however, the accuracy of his testimonials has been called into question. A number of media outlets reported inconsistencies in Chaudhry’s re-reporting of subsequent events.
“Hoxies can create fear and confusion in our communities, posing a potential threat to Canadians, while we are determined otherwise,” said Christopher de Gale, superintendent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), in a statement.
“As a result, the RCMP takes these allegations very seriously, especially when individuals, through their actions, cause the police to investigate in which human and financial resources are invested and diverted from other ongoing priorities.”
The country’s anti-terrorism law is seldom used and terrorism expert Amarnath Amarasingham believes it will be difficult for the RCMP to prosecute in court, he tweeted, adding that police would have to prove Chaudhry’s intimidation among others The information was incorrect.
“I think this charge creates an interesting dilemma for RCMP and Huzaifah. Does he admit that he went to Syria, and will face the crime of terrorism? ”He wrote.
In a separate release, federal police announced terrorism charges against an unidentified 30-year-old Alberta man. As part of a seven-year investigation, police allege the man joined the Islamic State in 2013 and committed “acts of terrorism, including a deliberate commitment.”[ing] The crime of kidnapping in the direction of a terrorist group or in collaboration with it.
