WARMINGTON: Man on bail at Toronto mosque faces accusation of fear of terrorism

Yahoo

16-05-2025

Days before the RCMP picked up a Kitchener man believed to be planning to travel abroad to join an international terror organization, he was arrested at Pearson International Airport for allegedly making death threats to police officers, the Toronto Sun has learned.
Husam Taha Ali Al-Sewaiee, who has lived in Canada for a number of years but is originally from Yemen, was charged on April 15 after allegedly uttering threats toward officers and released on an undertaking to appear at a later date in court for that allegation.
A Peel Regional Police spokesperson confirmed 'the information we have is the individual was arrested by PRP on April 15th for uttering threats' and was charged. These charges have yet to be tested in court. A court date on the uttering threats charge has not yet been set.
No weapons were seized and no one was hurt in the incident at the airport.
It's unclear if Taha Ali Al-Sewaiee was at Pearson as part of his alleged plan to leave Canada. But what is clear is 'red flags went off' when he was detained there after a confrontation where 'utterances' were allegedly made and that information was shared with federal authorities.
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This incident occurred nine days before the deadly police shooting of a man at Pearson – something now being probed by the province's Special Investigations Unit. Needless to say, it has been a difficult year at the airport for police.
'Our officers were not physically harmed, acted very professionally and arranged for the man to be taken to hospital for a mental health assessment,' Peel Regional Police Association President Adrian Woolley said. 'At this point, this is a matter in the hands of investigators.'
Four days after Taha Ali Al-Sewaiee was arrested at Pearson, on April 19, he was before a Brampton court facing what court documents say is an application for a peace bond under Section Number 810.01ccc, of the Criminal Code of Canada which is granted for a 'fear of terrorism offence' where 'a person who fears on reasonable grounds that another person may commit a terrorism offence may, with the Attorney General's consent, lay an information before a provincial court judge.'
Al-Sewaiee is not facing any terrorism charges.
His case has also not been tested in court and police say this is an open file that remains under investigation.
But court documents show the 32-year-old, who has told people he was soon to become a Canadian citizen and who has been seen at pro-Gaza protests in Toronto since the Oct. 7th slaughter in Israel, has been held over in a special arrangement approved by the court to reside under bail conditions at a North Toronto mosque after an approved surety posted a $1,000 bond.
The conditions state he can only leave the mosque 'when you are in the company of your surety' or with 'written permission' for specific purposes including going to court or for medical reasons. He also can't be 'within 300 metres of any airport or Candian border' and he had to 'surrender' his 'passport or travel documents.'
B'nai Brith Canada declined to comment on the court proceedings in this matter. But on the overall concern of potential danger to Canadians, they have expressed deep concern.
'Our federal government must address the dangerous weaknesses plaguing Canada's immigration and national security systems,' B'nai Brith Director of Research and Advocacy Richard Robertson said. 'Those who demonstrate signs of, or appear to have a predisposition towards, radicalization should never be permitted to enter our country let alone to obtain citizenship. Urgent action is needed to stop the spread of radicalization.'
Meir Weinstein, of Israel Now, also declined comment on the bail arrangement but did say, 'I recognize him from pro-Palestine protests' but 'have no recollection of having any issues or problems with him.'
'We are reviewing our photographs and videos and will work with law enforcement if they need any help,' he added.
Ontario's office of the Attorney General has not so far commented on this move by the court.
But in light of alleged threats against police, as well as fear of terrorism, it would be good to know from Attorney General Doug Downey if the accused man's bail conditions can be reviewed in the interest of ensuring public safety.
This seems like uncharted legal and justice waters. It's unknown if a person before the courts on the fear or terrorism, or any serious criminal allegation, has ever been released on bail to a place of worship before. Is this the appropriate place to house somebody before the courts on such serious matters?
Sources say it was felt this was the best option available for the court since it did not want to have him under house arrest at a previous Kitchener address.
Several police officers told the Sun there is curiosity if this move to send a person before the courts to reside at a mosque sets a precedent that could see this being requested in future cases. This mosque is not a stand-alone structure but in a complex with other businesses and appears to have both a prayer hall and an apartment as part of it.
Calls to the mosque for comment were unsuccessful.
But, sources say, police bail compliance professionals will do compliance reviews like they do with anybody released on bail conditions.
For now, this is where this man accused of fear of terrorism and uttering threats to police calls home.
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