Calgary Resident Sentenced to 16 Years for ISIS Terrorist Activities in Syria
A Calgary man has been handed a significant 16-year prison term for traveling to Syria over a decade ago to join Islamic State fighters in their efforts to establish a Caliphate in the Middle East. Justice Corina Dario of the Calgary Court of King's Bench delivered the sentence on Wednesday, agreeing with Crown prosecutors that the lengthy term was justified given the severity of the terrorist activities.
Judge Rejects Defense Arguments About Foreign Soil Conduct
Justice Dario firmly rejected defense suggestions that Jamal Borhot's actions should be viewed as less serious because they occurred on foreign soil. The judge emphasized that Borhot's criminal culpability remains undiminished by geography, stating clearly that Canada's lack of direct suffering from these offenses doesn't reduce their seriousness.
"I do not agree that these offences should be considered less serious because Canada and people in Canada did not suffer," Justice Dario declared during the sentencing proceedings.
Details of the Case and Terrorist Involvement
The 35-year-old Borhot traveled from Calgary to Turkiye in April 2013, quickly crossing into Syria where he trained with and participated in terrorist activities with the Islamic State organization. He returned to Calgary eleven months later, but his involvement with the terrorist group led to three terrorism charges, the most serious being participation in terrorist organization activities.
Crown prosecutors Kent Brown and Dominic Puglia successfully argued for the 16-year sentence, which Justice Dario found appropriate given the evidence presented during the trial.
Comparison with Relative's Case and Lack of Remorse
Unlike his cousin Hussein Borhot, who received a 12-year sentence after pleading guilty to similar charges, Jamal Borhot showed no evidence of remorse or renunciation of his extremist beliefs. Defense lawyer Pawel Milczarek had sought a similar 12-year term, but Justice Dario determined that Jamal Borhot's conduct was more egregious than his relative's.
"There's no evidence that the offender's views have changed," Justice Dario noted, highlighting the persistent nature of Borhot's extremist ideology.
Sentencing Details and Parole Eligibility
The court ordered that Borhot must serve at least half of his 16-year sentence before becoming eligible to seek parole. With only 114 days of pre-sentencing credit applied, the Calgary resident faces nearly eight years of incarceration before he can request release.
Despite the harsh sentence, Justice Dario acknowledged that because Borhot was relatively young when he became radicalized and joined ISIS, there remains some hope for eventual rehabilitation. The judge specifically rejected defense characterizations that Borhot was merely engaging in civil combat, clarifying that his actions directly supported ISIS's agenda to establish a Caliphate extending into Lebanon while eliminating those who opposed their vision.
This case represents another significant terrorism prosecution in Canada, demonstrating the judicial system's approach to addressing extremist activities conducted abroad by Canadian citizens.
