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{{Short description|Canadian mentally ill entrapment}}
{{BLP sources|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox criminal
| name = Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|
| citizenship = [[Canadians|Canadian]]
| imprisoned = [[ADX Florence]]
| website = https://bringabdulhome.ca/
}}
'''Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy''' is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] citizen who was convicted in 2016 of terrorism-related offenses. El Bahnasawy plotted via online chat to carry out an attack
== Early life ==
El Bahnasawy was born in [[Kuwait]] and raised in [[Mississauga, Ontario]]. Throughout El Bahnsawy's adolescent life, he struggled with issues related to his mental illness and subsequent substance abuse.<ref name="globalnews"/>
El Bahnasawy had a significant history of mental health difficulties prior to his arrest.<ref name="thestar_2018-03-21">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2018/03/21/family-of-mississauga-teen-in-nyc-terror-plot-says-fbi-operated-overzealous-sting-operation.html|title=Family of Mississauga teen in NYC terror plot says FBI operated overzealous sting operation|date=March 21, 2018|website=thestar.com}}</ref> From age 14 El Bahnasawy was placed as an inpatient in three different mental health hospitals, including one in [[Egypt]], the Kuwaiti Center of Psychiatric Health and the [[Centre for Addiction and Mental Health|Centre (CAMH)]] in [[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4274935/canadian-isis-plot-new-york/|title=He plotted to bomb Times Square for ISIS. Records show he’s mentally ill. Is he a terrorist? | Globalnews.ca|website=globalnews.ca}}</ref> El Bahnasawy was a 17-year-old minor with no history of violence or criminal record prior to making contact with an undercover FBI informant to plot terror attacks in New York City.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4658275/canadian-isis-plot-new-york-2/|title=Undercover informant encouraged ‘vulnerable’ Canadian ISIS plotter, defence argues | Globalnews.ca|website=Global News}}</ref>
== Terror plot and arrest ==
Despite having no criminal and violent history, El Bahnasawy began communicating on message boards in support of the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham]] (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. He conspired with Talha Haroon, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen residing in [[Pakistan]], and Russell Salic, a 38-year-old [[Philippines]] citizen and resident, to plan a terrorist attack in [[New York City]] in 2016. All activates were online with the encouragement and guidance from the undercover as his lawyer stated in court filing that El bahnasawy was a minor with mental health issues who was lured online by FBI undercover agents into conspiring in the planning of a terrorist attack in New York that he would not have done otherwise taking advantage of his mental illness. Both the FBI and the RCMP knew about Abdulrahman's mental illness, the latter unlawfully providing the former with Abdulrahman's medical reports; however, it was this fact that made him an easy target for entrapment. Haroon allegedly made plans to travel from Pakistan to New York City to join El Bahnasawy in carrying out the attacks. As El Bahnasawy and Haroon prepared to execute the attacks, Salic allegedly wired money from the Philippines to the United States to help fund the terrorist operation.<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 19, 2018|title=Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Plotting to Carry out Terrorist Attacks in New York City for ISIS in Summer of 2016|url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/abdulrahman-el-bahnasawy-sentenced-40-years-prison-plotting-carry-out-terrorist-attacks-new|website=United States Department of Justice}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>
The group was infiltrated by an undercover informant for the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI), who acted as if they were willing to participate in the attack. On a family trip in May 2016, El Bahnasawy was arrested by federal agents in [[New Jersey]]; he was charged with conspiracy to commit terror acts transcending national borders and providing material support to terror groups. Haroon and Salic were arrested in [[Pakistan]] and the [[Philippines]], respectively. In 2020, a [[Supreme Court of Pakistan|Pakistani Supreme Court]] decided to halt the United States extradition request of Haroon. Salic, a Filipino doctor, is also yet to be extradited to the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Aamir|first=Latif|date=September 21, 2020|title=Pakistan court halts terror suspect's extradition to US|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/pakistan-court-halts-terror-suspect-s-extradition-to-us/1980478|website=Anadolu Agency}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Mogato|first=Manuel|date=October 11, 2017|title=Philippines Doctor Linked to New York Attack Plot a 'Regular, Generous Guy'|url=https://jakartaglobe.id/news/philippines-doctor-linked-new-york-attack-plot-regular-generous-guy/|website=JakartaGlobe}}</ref> El Bahnasawy's lawyer alleges he was entrapped by the FBI with the help of RCMP, who were aware of his mental illness but did not contact his family.<ref>{{Cite web| first=Brian |last=Hill |publisher=Global News
|date=March 2, 2018|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4060004/rcmp-canadain-terrorist-knew-meantal-health-treatment/|title=RCMP knew Canadian was treated at mental-health facility before entering U.S., terrorism arrest, conviction: documents}}</ref><ref name="thestar_2018-03-21"/> The undercover agent exchanged “inflammatory messages” with El Bahnasawy, as communications showed the Canadian was “influenced by the informant who contributed to Mr. El Bahnasawy's radicalization,” the defence said.<ref name="auto1"/> Additionally, none of the plans were carried out.<ref name="cbc_1.605766"/>
On December 19, 2018, El Bahnasawy was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. The prosecution on the case had pushed for El Bahnasawy to be sentenced to life imprisonment. El Bahnasawy's mother yelled "This is a sick boy! This is crazy. You have no justice," before being ushered out of the courtroom.<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 19, 2018|title=Canadian convicted of terrorism in U.S. gets 40 years in prison|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/abdulrahman-el-bahnasawy-sentenced-to-40-years-1.4952875|website=CBC News}}</ref>
== Court recommendations ==
A number of recommendations were made to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) on where to house El Bahnasawy. The court recommended that El Bahnasawy be designated to [[Federal Correctional Complex, Butner|FCI Butner Medium]] (care level 3) to facilitate greater proximity to mental health services. To the extent BOP finds that El Bahnasawy should be housed at a Mental Health Care Level 2 facility, the court recommended [[Federal Correctional Institution, McKean|FCI McKean]] or [[Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill|FCI Schuylkill]], both in Pennsylvania, to facilitate regular visitation with his parents and sister.<ref name="auto">{{cite news|title=The Court makes the following recommendations to the Bureau of Prisons|url=https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2191/f/Abdulrahman%20El%20Bahnasawy%20Judgment.pdf|newspaper=Extremism Gwu}}</ref> Despite the court recommendations, El Bahnasawy was placed in the [[Solitary confinement|Special Housing Unit (SHU)]] of [[United States Penitentiary, Big Sandy|USP Big Sandy]].<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Columnist |first=Amira Elghawaby Contributing |date=2020-04-21 |title=Amira Elghawaby: COVID-19 is latest twist in Canadian family’s nightmare |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/covid-19-is-latest-twist-in-canadian-family-s-nightmare/article_05533aa0-3515-5847-ba6f-0a2455cb1572.html |access-date=2023-10-20 |website=Toronto Star |language=en}}</ref>
== The RCMP’s role is the subject of a complaint filed ==
The RCMP’s role is now the subject of a complaint filed with the recently formed National Security and Intelligence Review Agency as El Bahnasawy was “entrapped” by the FBI with the help of the RCMP, which was aware of his history of mental illness and addiction. The complaint alleges that Both agencies knew of his mental health problem and so entrapped him online, taking advantage of his unstable mental health, while he was manic and on the waiting list for mental health treatment. Experts said there was no reason to decline the case, which touches on sensitive topics such as international cooperation and terrorism investigations in which mental illness is a factor<ref>{{cite news|title=National security review agency looking at complaint over arrest of Canadian ISIS recruit|url= https://globalnews.ca/news/6358448/isis-plot-complaint-national-security-review-agency/}}</ref>
On the other hand, a 2014 report by Human Rights Watch documented a pattern at the FBI of “discriminatory investigations, often targeting particularly vulnerable individuals (including people with intellectual and mental disabilities and the indigent), in which the government — often acting through informants — is actively involved in developing the plot, persuading and sometimes pressuring the target to participate, and providing the resources to carry it out<ref>{{cite news|title=Human Rights Watch and Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute said in a report|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/07/21/us-terrorism-prosecutions-often-illusion}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=RCMP entrapment of B.C. couple in legislature bomb plot was 'travesty of justice,' court rules|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/john-nuttall-amanda-korody-2018-1.4952431}}</ref>
== Prison attack ==
After El Bahnasawy's conviction in late 2018, he spent 2019 and much of 2020 in the Special Housing Units of [[Federal Correctional Institution, Gilmer]] and [[United States Penitentiary, Big Sandy]]. In late 2020, El Bahnasawy was transferred from Big Sandy to [[United States Penitentiary, Allenwood]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}
Professionals who evaluated El Bahnasawy in the New York City prosecution concluded his mental issues included bipolar and other disorders along with auditory hallucinations, His attorney Andrew J. Frisch pointed out. The latter are in the form of an imagined person who threatens him if he fails to follow directions, he said. Despite the mental illness history, A physician assistant's notes of a Nov. 25, 2020, psychiatric evaluation at Allenwood stated El Bahnasawy was not medicated, as mentioned in the court documents.
On December 7, 2020, at around 6:15 am, while incarcerated at [[United States Penitentiary, Allenwood]], El Bahnasawy snuck behind corrections officer Dale Franquet Jr and stabbed him twice. El Bahnasawy was quickly transferred to [[United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hunter|first=Brad|date=December 17, 2020|title=Convicted Canadian terrorist behind bloody prison knife attack: Report|url=https://torontosun.com/news/world/convicted-canadian-terrorist-behind-bloody-prison-knife-attack-report|newspaper=Toronto Sun}}</ref> In April 2021, El Bahnasawy was transferred to the [[ADX Florence|United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Inmate Locator |url=https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/ |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=www.bop.gov}}</ref>
On October 20, 2022, El Bahnasawy pled no contest to charges of two counts of assault on a federal officer. In addition he was also charged with two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a prohibited object, and providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization. According to his attorney, Andrew J. Frisch, EL Bahnasawy suffers from mental illness and Professionals who evaluated Bahnasawy in the New York City prosecution concluded his mental issues included bipolar and other disorders along with auditory hallucinations.<ref>{{Cite web |first=John |last=Beauge|date=2022-10-18 |title=Inmate seeks to plead no contest to two charges in Allenwood guard stabbing|url=https://www.pennlive.com/crime/2022/10/inmate-seeks-to-plead-no-contest-to-two-charges-in-allenwood-guard-stabbing.html |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=pennlive |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Inmate with ISIS ties who stabbed officer in eye seeks pleas of no contest |url=https://www.sungazette.com/news/2022/10/inmate-with-isis-ties-who-stabbed-officer-in-eye-seeks-pleas-of-no-contest/ |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=sungazette.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bahnasawy, Abdulrahman}}
[[Category:Islamic terrorism in the United States]]
[[Category:People convicted on terrorism charges]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in 2016]]
[[Category:Failed terrorist attempts in the United States]]
[[Category:Inmates of ADX Florence]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Canadian people imprisoned abroad]]
== Early life ==
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