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| Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1998-02-21) February 21, 1998 (age 26) |
| Citizenship | Canadian |
| Imprisoned at | ADX Florence |
| Website | https://bringabdulhome.ca/ |
Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy is a Canadian citizen who was convicted in 2016 of terrorism-related offenses. El Bahnasawy plotted via online chat to carry out an attack in New York City. In December 2018, El Bahnasawy was sentenced to 40 years in a US federal prison. His conviction and imprisonment have generated some controversy due to El Bahnasawy's history of mental health issues and age at time of the plot. there are many calls from professionals and human right activists for his transfer back to Canada where he can get the psychiatric help he needs.
Early life
El Bahnasawy was born in Kuwait and raised in Mississauga, Ontario. Throughout El Bahnsawy's adolescent life, he struggled with issues related to his mental illness and subsequent substance abuse. El Bahnasawy had a significant history of mental health difficulties prior to his arrest. From age 14 El Bahnasawy was placed as an inpatient in three different mental health hospitals, including one in Egypt, the Kuwaiti Center of Psychiatric Health and the Centre (CAMH) in Toronto, Ontario. El Bahnasawy was a 17-year-old minor with no history of violence or criminal record prior to making contact with an undercover FBI informant to plot terror attacks in New York City.
Terror plot and arrest
Despite having no criminal and violent history, El Bahnasawy began communicating on message boards in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. He conspired with Talha Haroon, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Pakistan, and Russell Salic, a 38-year-old Philippines citizen and resident, to plan a terrorist attack in New York City in 2016. All activates were online with the encouragement and guidance from the undercover as his lawyer stated in court filing that El bahnasawy was a minor with mental health issues who was lured online by FBI undercover agents into conspiring in the planning of a terrorist attack in New York that he would not have done otherwise taking advantage of his mental illness. Both the FBI and the RCMP knew about Abdulrahman's mental illness, the latter unlawfully providing the former with Abdulrahman's medical reports; however, it was this fact that made him an easy target for entrapment. Haroon allegedly made plans to travel from Pakistan to New York City to join El Bahnasawy in carrying out the attacks. As El Bahnasawy and Haroon prepared to execute the attacks, Salic allegedly wired money from the Philippines to the United States to help fund the terrorist operation.
The group was infiltrated by an undercover informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who acted as if they were willing to participate in the attack. On a family trip in May 2016, El Bahnasawy was arrested by federal agents in New Jersey; he was charged with conspiracy to commit terror acts transcending national borders and providing material support to terror groups. Haroon and Salic were arrested in Pakistan and the Philippines, respectively. In 2020, a Pakistani Supreme Court decided to halt the United States extradition request of Haroon. Salic, a Filipino doctor, is also yet to be extradited to the United States. El Bahnasawy's lawyer alleges he was entrapped by the FBI with the help of RCMP, who were aware of his mental illness but did not contact his family. The undercover agent exchanged “inflammatory messages” with El Bahnasawy, as communications showed the Canadian was “influenced by the informant who contributed to Mr. El Bahnasawy's radicalization,” the defence said. Additionally, none of the plans were carried out.
On December 19, 2018, El Bahnasawy was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. The prosecution on the case had pushed for El Bahnasawy to be sentenced to life imprisonment. El Bahnasawy's mother yelled "This is a sick boy! This is crazy. You have no justice," before being ushered out of the courtroom.
Court recommendations
A number of recommendations were made to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) on where to house El Bahnasawy. The court recommended that El Bahnasawy be designated to FCI Butner Medium (care level 3) to facilitate greater proximity to mental health services. To the extent BOP finds that El Bahnasawy should be housed at a Mental Health Care Level 2 facility, the court recommended FCI McKean or FCI Schuylkill, both in Pennsylvania, to facilitate regular visitation with his parents and sister. Despite the court recommendations, El Bahnasawy was placed in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) of USP Big Sandy.
The RCMP’s role is the subject of a complaint filed
The RCMP’s role is now the subject of a complaint filed with the recently formed National Security and Intelligence Review Agency as El Bahnasawy was “entrapped” by the FBI with the help of the RCMP, which was aware of his history of mental illness and addiction. The complaint alleges that Both agencies knew of his mental health problem and so entrapped him online, taking advantage of his unstable mental health, while he was manic and on the waiting list for mental health treatment. Experts said there was no reason to decline the case, which touches on sensitive topics such as international cooperation and terrorism investigations in which mental illness is a factor
On the other hand, a 2014 report by Human Rights Watch documented a pattern at the FBI of “discriminatory investigations, often targeting particularly vulnerable individuals (including people with intellectual and mental disabilities and the indigent), in which the government — often acting through informants — is actively involved in developing the plot, persuading and sometimes pressuring the target to participate, and providing the resources to carry it out
Prison attack
After El Bahnasawy's conviction in late 2018, he spent 2019 and much of 2020 in the Special Housing Units of Federal Correctional Institution, Gilmer and United States Penitentiary, Big Sandy. In late 2020, El Bahnasawy was transferred from Big Sandy to United States Penitentiary, Allenwood. Professionals who evaluated El Bahnasawy in the New York City prosecution concluded his mental issues included bipolar and other disorders along with auditory hallucinations, His attorney Andrew J. Frisch pointed out. The latter are in the form of an imagined person who threatens him if he fails to follow directions, he said. Despite the mental illness history, A physician assistant's notes of a Nov. 25, 2020, psychiatric evaluation at Allenwood stated El Bahnasawy was not medicated, as mentioned in the court documents.
On December 7, 2020, at around 6:15 am, while incarcerated at United States Penitentiary, Allenwood, El Bahnasawy snuck behind corrections officer Dale Franquet Jr and stabbed him twice. El Bahnasawy was quickly transferred to United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg. In April 2021, El Bahnasawy was transferred to the United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility.
On October 20, 2022, El Bahnasawy pled no contest to charges of two counts of assault on a federal officer. According to his attorney, Andrew J. Frisch, EL Bahnasawy suffers from mental illness and Professionals who evaluated Bahnasawy concluded that he has long suffered from mental health issues, and assert that, at the time of the alleged assaults, he was in the midst of a psychotic episode.
References
- ^ Bell, Stewart; Hill, Brian (June 20, 2018). "He plotted to bomb Times Square for ISIS.Records show he's mentally ill. Is he a terrorist?". Global News.
- ^ "Mentally ill Canadian convicted in terror probe lands in U.S. supermaximum security prison".
- ^ "Family of Mississauga teen in NYC terror plot says FBI operated overzealous sting operation". thestar.com. March 21, 2018.
- "He plotted to bomb Times Square for ISIS. Records show he's mentally ill. Is he a terrorist? | Globalnews.ca". globalnews.ca.
- ^ "Undercover informant encouraged 'vulnerable' Canadian ISIS plotter, defence argues | Globalnews.ca". Global News.
- "Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Plotting to Carry out Terrorist Attacks in New York City for ISIS in Summer of 2016". United States Department of Justice. December 19, 2018.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Aamir, Latif (September 21, 2020). "Pakistan court halts terror suspect's extradition to US". Anadolu Agency.
- Mogato, Manuel (October 11, 2017). "Philippines Doctor Linked to New York Attack Plot a 'Regular, Generous Guy'". JakartaGlobe.
- Hill, Brian (March 2, 2018). "RCMP knew Canadian was treated at mental-health facility before entering U.S., terrorism arrest, conviction: documents". Global News.
- "Canadian convicted of terrorism in U.S. gets 40 years in prison". CBC News. December 19, 2018.
- ^ "The Court makes the following recommendations to the Bureau of Prisons" (PDF). Extremism Gwu.
- Columnist, Amira Elghawaby Contributing (2020-04-21). "Amira Elghawaby: COVID-19 is latest twist in Canadian family's nightmare". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
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- "RCMP entrapment of B.C. couple in legislature bomb plot was 'travesty of justice,' court rules".
- Hunter, Brad (December 17, 2020). "Convicted Canadian terrorist behind bloody prison knife attack: Report". Toronto Sun.
- "Inmate Locator". www.bop.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
- Beauge, John (2022-10-18). "Inmate seeks to plead no contest to two charges in Allenwood guard stabbing". pennlive. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
- "Inmate with ISIS ties who stabbed officer in eye seeks pleas of no contest". sungazette.com. Retrieved 2022-10-25.