Suspect pleads guilty to one charge in Calgary terrorism case

The Calgary Courts Centre in Calgary, Alta., Monday, March 11, 2019.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

A man has pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge after admitting he shared recruitment videos for the Islamic State group on TikTok and posted on Snapchat that his mission would begin during Pride month.

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.

Hussein appeared Friday via video in the Alberta Court of Justice in Calgary. Some of his family members attended.

His lawyer, Alain Hepner, entered Hussein's plea to one count of facilitating terrorist activity.

"The plea is guilty," Hepner told Justice Harry Van Harten.

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

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

During a post-arrest interview, the statement says Hussein admitted ownership of his social media accounts, including on TikTok and Snapchat. He also admitted to writing homemade explosive instructions found in his bedroom, the statement says.

The document adds that Hussein knowingly facilitated terrorist activity on May 14 by posting an Islamic State group recruitment video on TikTok, which received comments from other users that included "I$I$ and proud," and "the video itself is very motivational."

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

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

"It's Pride month," he said. "I've been waiting."

Hussein then referred to two different types of explosive devices and one of those devices matched what was described in the handwritten instructions seized from his bedroom, says the statement.

It says he shared a video to a group chat containing "extremist ideological interpretations that encouraged the killing of gay men."

The document says Hussein also replied to an automated text message from Alberta's United Conservative Party asking for his support.

"No," he wrote back. "I'm gonna do a terrorist attack on you guys."

The statement says he received additional automated messages from the UCP, including one that asked if they could put a sign up at his house, and he replied: "I'll blow you guys up with an explosive."

Hepner ordered a risk assessment report for Hussein before he's to be sentenced next year.

RCMP have charged two other young Calgarians for terrorism-related offences in an ongoing national security investigation.

The two teens, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, have been released with conditions, pending the outcome of Terrorism Peace Bond applications.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 1, 2023.