Joint submission expected in sentencing of man for terrorism on social media posts

The Calgary Courts Centre is pictured in Calgary, Alta., Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

A sentencing hearing has been delayed until next month for a man who pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge after admitting he shared recruitment videos for the Islamic State group on social media.

Zakarya Rida Hussein, 20, was charged in June with two counts of facilitating terrorist activity and two counts of participating in or contributing to an activity of a terrorist group.

Late last year, Hussein entered a guilty plea to one count of facilitating terrorist activity.

On Thursday, Crown prosecutor Kent Brown and Hussein's lawyer, Alain Hepner, told Court of King's Justice Harry Van Harten they had just received a forensic risk assessment on the accused and needed until April 24 to proceed with sentencing.

"Frankly I anticipate a joint submission," Hepner told court.

"The law is not clear on this in terms of sentencing but there are some cases more aggravating, some cases much more serious."

Van Harten said he had only received the assessment himself, which he described as "kind of troubling". He said terrorism cases are high profile and the public is interested.

"If you come to a joint proposal...that's fine but it's got to be justified because we're dealing with a matter that is quite serious and then the individual circumstances of the accused," Van Harten said.

"We're talking about whether he presents a real danger to the public because of his behaviour or whether he was, as he says ... duped into doing what he did."

An agreed statement of facts, which was read into court by federal Crown prosecutor Kent Brown, said Hussein was arrested at his home by the RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team with assistance from Calgary police on June 15.

It says a search warrant on his home and vehicle found a notebook with the step-by-step instructions for making an improvised explosive device, an Islamic State group flag, several electronics, a black collapsible baton, knives and imitation brass knuckles.

Court heard Hussein knowingly facilitated terrorist activity on May 14 by posting an Islamic State group recruitment video on the social media platform TikTok.

The video received comments from other users that included “I$I$ and proud,” and “the video itself is very motivational.”

It says he later shared a longer version of the same video in a text message chat.

The statement says Hussein posted a message on the Snapchat app on June 1 that his mission would begin the next day.

"What's concerning in a case like this is, as I say, public interest in this kind of activity and really how people like this offender get radicalized," Van Harten said.

Hussein appeared in person for the hearing. Members of his family were in court in a show of support.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2024.