Border officials argue B.C. man’s Facebook posts threat to Canada’s security
VANCOUVER — A British Columbia man’s Facebook posts allegedly threatening violence in support of the Islamic State group provide enough evidence to suggest he poses a security risk to Canada and should be deported, an official for the Canada Border Services Agency says.
Othman Hamdan’s lawyer has argued his client’s online views amounted to freedom of expression as guaranteed by the charter.
Randal Hyland, a hearings officer for the border services agency, told an admissibility hearing of the Immigration and Refugee Board on Monday that Hamdan’s praise and encouragement of martyrdom and so-called lone-wolf terrorist attacks mean he could incite others to commit such offences.
The Jordanian national came to Canada in 2002 after living in the United States. He was arrested at his home in Fort St. John, B.C., in 2015 and charged with multiple terrorism offences related to 85 Facebook posts.