VANCOUVER — A British Columbia man acquitted of terrorism-related charges has filed a lawsuit against the provincial and federal governments, arguing he was maliciously prosecuted in violation of his charter rights.
Othman Hamdan of Fort St. John was charged in 2015 over 85 Facebook posts in which he supported some actions of Islamic State militants and celebrated "lone wolf" terrorists.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled last year that Hamdan's comments might have been offensive, but they didn't constitute inciting terrorism.
The 35-year-old Jordanian national remains incarcerated pending an immigration review.
Hamdan argues in his notice of civil claim that the only purpose of his incarceration has been to disrupt him from accessing a computer to voice constitutionally protected speech, in violation of his charter rights.
He says B.C. and Canada prosecuted him despite an absence of grounds supporting his guilt, chose to ignore a body of evidence that supported his innocence and caused him to suffer damages including loss of liberty and reputation.
None of the allegations has been proven and no statements of defence have been filed.
