Abdi Hersy, Calgary imam wanted on U.S. sex assault charges, awaits refugee status decision
Calgary Imam Abdi Hersy, seen on the left in a Washington County Sheriff's Office booking photo and on the right in a still image from a CBC interview, is wanted in the United States on outstanding criminal charges connected to two alleged sexual assaults. (Woodbury Police Department/CBC)
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
A refugee hearing was held Tuesday for a prominent Calgary imam who is wanted in the U.S. on outstanding criminal charges.
Abdi Hersy was accused of sexually assaulting two women while working as a respiratory therapist in Minnesota in 2006.
Despite the outstanding charges, he was granted protection as a Somali refugee in Canada. Now the federal government is trying to strip him of his refugee status.
His lawyer, Raj Sharma, says Hersy has not been able to clear his name because of immigration issues.
Hersy told CBC News he crossed the border back into Minnesota in September 2010 and surrendered to the sheriff's office, but U.S. immigration officials deported him back to Canada when he was released on bail.
"The trouble here is that Mr. Hersy is dealing with allegations for which he can't answer. So he's not allowed to go to the U.S. and answer these charges or test the evidence against him, so he's in a bit of a Catch 22."
Sharma expects a decision on Hersy's refugee status will take weeks. He says if the decision doesn't go his client's way, they'll seek a judicial review at Federal Court.
