Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy is a Canadian citizen who was convicted in 2016 of terrorism-related offenses. El Bahnasawy plotted via online chat to carry out an attack on Times Square and the subway system in New York City.^[1] In December 2018, El Bahnasawy was sentenced to 40 years in a US federal prison. His conviction and imprisonment have generated some controversy due to El Bahnasawy's history of mental health issues and age at time of the plot.^[2]

Early life

El Bahnasawy was born in Kuwait and raised in Mississauga, Ontario. Throughout El Bahnsawy's adolescent life, he struggled with issues related to his mental illness and subsequent substance abuse.^[1] El Bahnasawy had a significant history of mental health difficulties prior to his arrest.^[3] From age 14 El Bahnasawy was placed as an inpatient in three different mental health hospitals, including one in Egypt, the Kuwaiti Center of Psychiatric Health and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Ontario.^[4] El Bahnasawy was a 17-year-old minor with no history of violence or criminal record prior to making contact with an undercover FBI informant to plot terror attacks in New York City.^[5]

Terror plot and arrest

El Bahnasawy began communicating on message boards in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. He conspired with Talha Haroon, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Pakistan, and Russell Salic, a 38-year-old Philippines citizen and resident, to conduct bombings and shootings in heavily populated areas of New York City during the Islamic holy month of Ramadhan in 2016, all in the name of ISIS. El Bahnasawy purchased bomb-making materials for the attack and rented out a cabin that was driving distance from New York City to build the bombs for the attack. Additionally, El Bahnasawy purchased hydrogen peroxide to be used in explosive devices. El Bahnasawy expressed to the undercover informant that "Americans needed the attack" and that he aspired to "create the next 9/11".^[6] All activates were online with the encouragement and guidance from the undercover as his lawyer stated in court filing. Haroon allegedly made plans to travel from Pakistan to New York City to join El Bahnasawy in carrying out the attacks. As El Bahnasawy and Haroon prepared to execute the attacks, Salic allegedly wired money from the Philippines to the United States to help fund the terrorist operation.^[7]

The group was infiltrated by an undercover informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who acted as if they were willing to participate in the attack. On a family trip in May 2016, El Bahnasawy was arrested by federal agents in New Jersey; he was charged with conspiracy to commit terror acts transcending national borders and providing material support to terror groups. Haroon and Salic were arrested in Pakistan and the Philippines, respectively. In 2020, a Pakistani Supreme Court decided to halt the United States extradition request of Haroon. Salic, a Filipino doctor, is also yet to be extradited to the United States.^[8][9] El Bahnasawy's lawyer alleges he was entrapped by the FBI with the help of RCMP, who were aware of his mental illness but did not contact his family.^[10][3] The undercover agent exchanged “inflammatory messages” with El Bahnasawy, as communications showed the Canadian was “influenced by the informant who contributed to Mr. El Bahnasawy's radicalization,” the defence said.^[5] Additionally, none of the plans were carried out.^[2]

On December 19, 2018, El Bahnasawy was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. The prosecution on the case had pushed for El Bahnasawy to be sentenced to life imprisonment. El Bahnasawy's mother yelled "This is a sick boy! This is crazy. You have no justice," before being ushered out of the courtroom.^[11]

Court recommendations

A number of recommendations were made to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) on where to house El Bahnasawy. The court recommended that El Bahnasawy be designated to FCI Butner Medium (care level 3) to facilitate greater proximity to mental health services. To the extent BOP finds that El Bahnasawy should be housed at a Mental Health Care Level 2 facility, the court recommended FCI McKean or FCI Schuylkill, both in Pennsylvania, to facilitate regular visitation with his parents and sister.^[12] Despite the court recommendations, El Bahnasawy was placed in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) of USP Big Sandy.^[12][13]

A 2014 report by Human Rights Watch documented a pattern at the FBI of “discriminatory investigations, often targeting particularly vulnerable individuals (including people with intellectual and mental disabilities and the indigent), in which the government — often acting through informants — is actively involved in developing the plot, persuading and sometimes pressuring the target to participate, and providing the resources to carry it out.".^[14]

Prison attack

On December 7, 2020, at around 6:15 am, while incarcerated at United States Penitentiary, Allenwood, El Bahnasawy snuck behind corrections officer Dale Franquet Jr and stabbed him twice in the back and eye with a 14-inch shank. El Bahnasawy then attacked a responding correctional officer but was subdued with the usage of OC spray. Franquet lost his eye in the attack. El Bahnasawy was quickly transferred to United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg.^[15] In April 2021, El Bahnasawy was transferred to the United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility.^[16]

On October 20, 2022, El Bahnasawy pled no contest to charges of two counts of assault on a federal officer. In addition he was also charged with two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a prohibited object, and providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization. According to his attorney, Andrew J. Frisch, EL Bahnasawy suffers from mental illness and Professionals who evaluated Bahnasawy in the New York City prosecution concluded his mental issues included bipolar and other disorders along with auditory hallucinations.^[17][18]

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