Monday February 11, 2019
Mohamed Hassan Hersi was sentenced to 10 years for attempting to participate in terrorist activity and counselling another to do the same. - Andrew Wallace,The Toronto Star - July 2014
TORONTO –The Ontario Court of Appeal released its decision today on the conviction and sentence appeal of Mohamed Hassan Hersi, 32. The Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the conviction and sentence.
Mr. Hersi was the subject of an undercover investigation that ran from October 2010 to March 2011. During the course of that investigation, Mr. Hersi told an undercover police officer that he was going to travel to Somalia, by way of Egypt, and join Al-Shabaab, the notorious terrorist group. Mr. Hersi also counselled the undercover officer to do the same – travel to Somalia and offer his services to Al-Shabaab.
On March 29, 2011, Mr. Hersi was arrested as he waited to board a flight to Egypt. He was charged with attempting to participate in the activities of a terrorist group, and with counselling participation in the activities of a terrorist group, contrary to section 83.18 of the Criminal Code. A jury convicted Mr. Hersi of both counts. He was sentenced to the then maximum sentence of five years imprisonment on each count and was ordered ineligible to obtain parole until he had served half his sentence.
Mr. Hersi has 60 days to decide whether to seek leave to appeal with the Supreme Court of Canada.