Canadian Terror-Threat Suspect Made To Wear Electronic GPS Bracelet To Monitor Moves, Prevent Move To ISIS Daesh Areas
A court in Canada has ordered a man from Montreal to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet as well as refrain from communicating with anyone in Syria. The man had been alleged by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP as a suspect who could launch a terroristic attack anywhere in the country.
Police identified the suspect as Merouane Ghalmi of the Montreal suburb of Pierrefonds, a 22-year-old former mixed martial artist. The court issued a summons to appear in court against him in February. Although not charged yet with any criminal offence, Ghalmi, based on a peace bond, accepted a list of restrictions that would limit his actions and movement inside Canada. A peace bond, according to the National Post, is a mechanism under the Criminal Code that seeks to elicit protection from someone suspected to commit a crime.
The peace bond, federal prosecutor Lyne Décarie, was sought because “the RCMP had reasonable grounds to fear the man would commit a terrorism offence.” The reasons behind the police fears, however, were not revealed. But Décarie said Ghalmi is barred from “communicating via social networks with any person in Syria or any person who has ties to a terrorist group.”
Apart from the GPS tracker, Ghalmi also has to surrender his passport. He also cannot apply for another one from Canada or any other country. He cannot possess a cellphone. His consent to the GPS monitoring device meant he cannot leave Quebec. His computer and any other electronic devices must be accessed by the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams.
The peace bond is a “preventive measure,” Décarie said. It will be enforced for 12 months, the maximum period that the law requires.
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