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A Crown prosecutor says a Calgary man who willingly joined and labored for an Islamic State terrorist group within the Center East over a decade in the past ought to spend 16 years in jail, whereas a defence lawyer has really useful 12 years.
Jamal Borhot, 35, was convicted in December of three counts of participation in a terrorist group for aiding within the terrorist actions of ISIS in Syria in 2013.
Court docket heard Borhot and his cousin Hussein Borhot illegally entered Syria by way of Turkey.
Hussein Borhot pleaded responsible in a separate trial and was sentenced in 2022 to 12 years.
In December, Justice Corina Dario discovered Jamal Borhot participated in violent acts, actively recruited others to hitch the trigger and labored in administration.
He returned to Calgary after one 12 months.
Jamal Borhot travelled to Syria in 2013 together with his cousin Hussein Borhot, seen right here outdoors the Calgary Court docket Centre, after pleading responsible in a separate trial in 2022.
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The decide is scheduled to condemn Borhot on Feb. 4.
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At a sentencing listening to Friday, prosecutor Kent Brown mentioned 16 years is acceptable for Jamal Borhot, because the cousin acquired much less time for his pleas.
“The main focus stays deterrence and denunciation and that’s largely as a result of pernicious nature of terrorism offences. Anybody who engages in these actions ought to anticipate a major sentence consequently,” Brown mentioned.
Borhot deliberate the journey to Syria and tried to cover his actions, the prosecutor mentioned.
“There was actual danger of significant hurt brought on by the offender’s conduct. I submit that’s with out query right here, given his involvement in battles in Syria.”
Brown added outdoors court docket that the case was tough to prosecute because it occurred so way back. “It’s a chilly case that occurred in a rustic half means all over the world.”
Defence lawyer Pawel Milczarek mentioned his consumer has lived a peaceable life since returning to Canada and will have a sentence that’s proportionate to his cousin’s jail time.
Milczarek mentioned Borhot turned radicalized and needed to assist battle the Syrian authorities, as he believed it was randomly slaughtering civilians.
“Mr. Borhot was motivated by this objective to journey to Syria. He discovered the unsuitable group to battle with,” the lawyer mentioned.
“With 20/20 hindsight, we are able to all determine that ISIS turned a violent terrorist group after Mr. Borhot left Syria. We must always not harshly punish Mr. Borhot for making a mistake with imperfect data.”
Borhot didn’t handle the court docket.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
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