Toronto man arrested on suspicion he’d travel and engage in terrorism agrees to no contact with ISIL

BRAMPTON — A Toronto man arrested over police concerns he would travel abroad to engage in terrorism agreed Friday to the terms of a one-year peace bond that requires him not to communicate or associate with ISIL.

At a court appearance in Brampton, Kadir Abdul, 27, signed a peace bond that the RCMP had sought against him after he was arrested at Pearson airport on April 15 upon returning from Turkey, where he had allegedly been detained.

The peace bond restricts him from leaving Ontario. He cannot possess a passport or weapons. He must also stay off the Internet, except under supervision. It further says he cannot “associate or communicate” with ISIL, Jabhat Al-Nusra or Samuel Aviles.

Federal and defence lawyers worked out the terms in meetings Friday morning, and Abdul agreed to abide by them at a subsequent appearance before the Ontario Court of Justice. “I don’t want to say anything,” Abdul said following the proceedings.

“He’s happy with the outcome,” his lawyer Anser Farooq said outside court. He said that by consenting to the peace bond his client was not admitting to any of the allegations. “Crown and I worked out terms by which he could move on.”

Peace bonds have been used increasingly in terrorism-related cases in the past year, as police try to stop suspected extremists from leaving Canada to join ISIL and other terrorist groups that are seeking Western recruits.

The former Conservative government’s anti-terrorism law, C-51, made it easier to obtain peace bonds on national security grounds, but critics argue they impose severe restrictions on those who have not been charged with any crimes.

Abdul and Aviles left Canada on March 23 and were detained by Turkish authorities on March 31, according to the RCMP. They were sent back to Toronto and arrested at Pearson airport. Both were released on bonds.

In an information filed in court, RCMP Insp. Stephen Baetz said police had reasonable grounds to believe that Abdul “may” participate in the activity of a terrorist group, travel to participate in the activity of a terrorist group and facilitate terrorist activity.

The details of the police investigation have not been disclosed and were not read into the court record on Friday. Farooq said his client would not offer any response to the police allegation he had been arrested in Turkey for trying to enter the conflict zone.

Abdul lives in a Toronto apartment building linked to a Canadian extremist believed to have died. According to leaked ISIL documents, a Bangladeshi-Canadian named Abdul Malik entered ISIL territory in July 2014. The contact number listed on his ISIL form matches a land line in Kadir Abdul’s building.