An Alberta judge said a man who willingly joined an Islamic State group in the Middle East over a decade ago knew what he was doing and found him guilty Monday of three counts of participation in a terrorist group.
Jamal Borhot, who is now 35, was convicted after being charged with travelling to Syria in 2013 to assist in the terrorist activities of ISIS.
“The accused knew he was part of a terrorist organization and knew their goals," Justice Corina Dario told Borhot in Court of King's Bench Monday.
“The accused knew of or was willfully blind that this was a terrorist group. He was prepared to kill for his beliefs."
Borhot is accused of travelling to Syria with his cousin Hussein Borhot in 2013 to fight for the Islamic State, entering the country illegally through Turkey.
Hussein Borhot, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in May 2022 in a separate trial.
Dario said Borhot participated in violent acts, actively recruited others to join the cause and worked in administration. She said Borhot was imprisoned by the Islamic State for stealing medication.
She said Borhot had strong beliefs in the terrorist cause.
“He used firearms with the intention to kill anyone who was not Muslim. These are terrorist activities," she said.
Borhot, who had been free on bail for the past five years, was taken into custody after court despite his lawyer asking he remain free until his sentencing on Jan. 16.
"Based on the gravity of the offence it would undermine the administration of justice at this point to not revoke bail," Dario said.
It's the latest step in a five-year legal odyssey that began after Mounties charged Borhot in 2020.
The case dragged its way through the courts to the point Borhot made an unsuccessful attempt to have the case tossed due to delays.
Prosecutor Kent Brown said he was relieved the case is coming to an end.
"It's been a long process, a lot of work done by everybody so just having a conclusion or most of a conclusion is definitely a good spot to be," he told reporters outside court.
Brown said Borhot could face up to 10 years maximum on each of the three charges and the possibility they would be served consecutively.
"He could be looking at a very significant hit."
Borhot's lawyer, Pawel Milczarek wasn't willing to guess what the prosecution would be asking for.
"I think the reality of these sorts of offences is that there's usually a high sentence imposed. I'm not going to guess what the Crown is going to come in at," he said.
Milczarek said it's a difficult day for the family.
"To say that the family and Mr. Borhot are anything but devastated by this ruling would be an understatement."
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
