*** So the listening devices in his home that were planted to obtain evidence of terrorism offences were instead used to convict him on domestic assault charges? Ummm...okay I guess. Let's hope they treat ALL domestic assault cases like this one. MS ***
Andrew Seymour, Postmedia News · Friday, Sept. 3, 2010
OTTAWA — A man arrested but never charged in connection with an Ottawa terror investigation has been released on consent of the Crown.
Awso Peshdary was released Friday on several strict conditions, including that he reside with his sister and father, who each posted $4,000 bonds. He must also not apply for a passport, must stay away from his wife and infant child, and must not possess any weapons or explosives.
Mr. Peshdary said in a quiet voice he understood the conditions. If he fails to follow them, he could face up to two years in jail and his sureties would lose the bond money.
His conditions also include to stay away from his wife’s family, including her mother. He must also stay away from her place of employment, residence and place of worship.
After seeking to have Mr. Peshdary kept in custody on Sunday, Assistant Crown attorney Julie Scott said the Crown had time to review the file and would consent to his release.
No further charges would be filed, she said.
“There is no information Mr. Peshdary is in possession of any weapons and the Crown is of the view he can be released,” said Ms. Scott. She said the couple had been together a year-and-a-half and prior to Peshdary’s arrest there had been no complaints of domestic violence.
He has no criminal record, Ms. Scott said. She added there is a “safety plan” in place for Mr. Peshdary’s wife.
Court heard Mr. Peshdary is accused of twice assaulting his wife, whose name is protected by a publication ban.
The more serious of the alleged incidents occurred Aug. 10, when he allegedly pushed his wife in the throat, causing her to feel choked, according to the Crown.
He also allegedly pushed her in April. Both times he allegedly threatened her.
There was no mention of any connection to the Ottawa terror investigation that resulted in his arrest last Friday. He spent a week in custody before the Crown changed course.
Earlier this week it was revealed prosecution evidence in the domestic assault case came from microphones planted by police in his house.
It isn’t clear how long the Mounties were listening to conversations from the Peshdary home, but two of the charges date to April.
Mr. Peshdary has been at the centre of a bizarre legal roller-coaster since being arrested early last Friday morning on his way to work.
After a six-hour interrogation, the RCMP released him into the custody of Ottawa police, who charged him with one count of assault and one count of uttering a threat.
He was granted bail by Justice of the Peace Ray Switzer on Saturday but immediately re-arrested before he had a chance to leave the court building.
He was then charged on two more counts and on Sunday was ordered held in custody by Switzer until Tuesday.
The three other suspects arrested last week in the police anti-terrorist investigation known as Project Samossa — Hiva Alizadeh, 30, Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26, and Khurram Syed Sher, 28 — are being held at an Ottawa detention centre. Mr. Sher has another court appearance Friday afternoon to set a date for his bail hearing. Mr. Ahmed’s bail hearing is set for Sept. 15. A bail hearing for Mr. Alizadeh has not been set.
Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/arrested+Ottawa+terror+probe+released/3478401/story.html#ixzz0yTzBSVPK
Showing posts with label CSIS RCMP homegrown terror Ottawa case. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CSIS RCMP homegrown terror Ottawa case. Show all posts
Friday, September 3, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
WIRETAPS WILL PROVIDE SOME EVIDENCE OF TERROR ARREST OF SUSPECT #4
*** I hope the wiretaps hold up and I hope they do a proper analysis of the contents. It could be just like the Toronto 18 case; everyone swearing up and down the suspect(s) are not involved and the lo and behold - their voices on tape confirming it. MS ***
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100831/national/rcmp_terror_arrests
By Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press
ADVERTISEMENT
OTTAWA - Wiretaps expected to be introduced in court Friday may also help connect the dots between a suspect charged with assault and the arrests of three other men on terrorism charges.
While the RCMP arrested the 20-year-old Ottawa man last week in connection with their year-long homegrown terror probe, he wasn't charged in that case.
Instead, he is now being detained on unrelated domestic assault charges.
A bail hearing in the assault case was held Tuesday, but a decision pushed back until the end of the week because the Crown provided the defence with its evidence only on Tuesday morning.
The man's lawyer, Richard Morris, asked for the court delay.
"Part of the process is you're trying to maximize the odds of success and part of that from my perspective is making sure I know the case the Crown is going to bring against my client, so I can answer it properly and completely," said Morris.
While many media outlets have named the individual, The Canadian Press has refrained from doing so because the RCMP has not publicly linked the man to the terrorism probe, nor indicated it will proceed any further.
Morris said he would meet with his client later Tuesday to review the 19 different evidentiary documents provided by the Crown, including transcripts of the wiretaps. Morris said he'll also listen to the audio itself.
"They appear to be conversations, I don't even know who is in the conversations at this point," Morris said outside court.
Neither side is expected to ask for a publication ban on the evidence on Friday, meaning whatever is on the tapes can be made public.
Morris said he wasn't concerned that the information could be overly prejudicial.
"My view is that if any one of us had a microphone in our house for a period of time we'd probably be embarrassed if some of the material comes out, and I trust the public will realize that," he said.
The man's sister and father are also expected to be called as witnesses.
He didn't speak in court Tuesday, save for telling the justice his name.
Included in the group of people at the courthouse were several young Muslim women who bided the time before the hearing trading stories about how hard it is to be a young female Muslim.
Outside the courthouse, they pushed back at a news photographer attempting to take their photo, yelling at her that she didn't have ethics or morals.
A cluster of young men awaiting the court hearing gathered around a copy of a local newspaper featuring the man's story.
As one of them put it: "They don't have anything on him. It even says so." (MS: That is why local papers do not substitute for evidence.)
Outside court, one of the men said he was worried about justice taking too long.
"I see a lot of delays, fumbling around and procrastination," said Troy Rambaran, who said he knows the man and his family.
"That's not how it's supposed to be going on. I feel that it's an abuse of power."
Morris said his client was frustrated by the delay.
"He was looking forward to the bail hearing," he said.
"Just because of the inherent slowness of the process, he's frustrated in that goal."
Three other men are in custody after a year-long investigation by the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and other agencies.
Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh, 30, and Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26, both of Ottawa and Khurram Syed Sher, 28, of London, Ont., are charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
They were expected to appear in court Wednesday.
Morris said he didn't know whether his client knew any of the terror suspects.
They were arrested after an investigation that included the discovery of more than 50 electronic circuit boards, supposedly designed to be remote detonators for explosive devices.
Police also seized videos, terrorist literature and bomb-related documents.
Police claim the terrorism plot stretches from Ottawa to Afghanistan, Dubai, Iran and Pakistan. But there has been no official word on the alleged targets.
Morris said he had no indication that terrorism charges against his client were coming.
But the strangeness of his client's case so far means anything is possible, the lawyer suggested.
The man was arrested Friday, released on bail Saturday and then promptly rearrested again.
"It's getting to the point where little surprises me," said Morris.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100831/national/rcmp_terror_arrests
By Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press
ADVERTISEMENT
OTTAWA - Wiretaps expected to be introduced in court Friday may also help connect the dots between a suspect charged with assault and the arrests of three other men on terrorism charges.
While the RCMP arrested the 20-year-old Ottawa man last week in connection with their year-long homegrown terror probe, he wasn't charged in that case.
Instead, he is now being detained on unrelated domestic assault charges.
A bail hearing in the assault case was held Tuesday, but a decision pushed back until the end of the week because the Crown provided the defence with its evidence only on Tuesday morning.
The man's lawyer, Richard Morris, asked for the court delay.
"Part of the process is you're trying to maximize the odds of success and part of that from my perspective is making sure I know the case the Crown is going to bring against my client, so I can answer it properly and completely," said Morris.
While many media outlets have named the individual, The Canadian Press has refrained from doing so because the RCMP has not publicly linked the man to the terrorism probe, nor indicated it will proceed any further.
Morris said he would meet with his client later Tuesday to review the 19 different evidentiary documents provided by the Crown, including transcripts of the wiretaps. Morris said he'll also listen to the audio itself.
"They appear to be conversations, I don't even know who is in the conversations at this point," Morris said outside court.
Neither side is expected to ask for a publication ban on the evidence on Friday, meaning whatever is on the tapes can be made public.
Morris said he wasn't concerned that the information could be overly prejudicial.
"My view is that if any one of us had a microphone in our house for a period of time we'd probably be embarrassed if some of the material comes out, and I trust the public will realize that," he said.
The man's sister and father are also expected to be called as witnesses.
He didn't speak in court Tuesday, save for telling the justice his name.
Included in the group of people at the courthouse were several young Muslim women who bided the time before the hearing trading stories about how hard it is to be a young female Muslim.
Outside the courthouse, they pushed back at a news photographer attempting to take their photo, yelling at her that she didn't have ethics or morals.
A cluster of young men awaiting the court hearing gathered around a copy of a local newspaper featuring the man's story.
As one of them put it: "They don't have anything on him. It even says so." (MS: That is why local papers do not substitute for evidence.)
Outside court, one of the men said he was worried about justice taking too long.
"I see a lot of delays, fumbling around and procrastination," said Troy Rambaran, who said he knows the man and his family.
"That's not how it's supposed to be going on. I feel that it's an abuse of power."
Morris said his client was frustrated by the delay.
"He was looking forward to the bail hearing," he said.
"Just because of the inherent slowness of the process, he's frustrated in that goal."
Three other men are in custody after a year-long investigation by the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and other agencies.
Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh, 30, and Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26, both of Ottawa and Khurram Syed Sher, 28, of London, Ont., are charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
They were expected to appear in court Wednesday.
Morris said he didn't know whether his client knew any of the terror suspects.
They were arrested after an investigation that included the discovery of more than 50 electronic circuit boards, supposedly designed to be remote detonators for explosive devices.
Police also seized videos, terrorist literature and bomb-related documents.
Police claim the terrorism plot stretches from Ottawa to Afghanistan, Dubai, Iran and Pakistan. But there has been no official word on the alleged targets.
Morris said he had no indication that terrorism charges against his client were coming.
But the strangeness of his client's case so far means anything is possible, the lawyer suggested.
The man was arrested Friday, released on bail Saturday and then promptly rearrested again.
"It's getting to the point where little surprises me," said Morris.
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