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Calgary man sentenced to six years in prison for sharing terrorism videos on TikTok

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 17 Sep, 2024 02:22 PM

A Calgary man who admitted to sharing Islamic State recruitment videos and propaganda on TikTok has been sentenced to six years in prison.

Zakarya Rida Hussein, 20, was sentenced in court Friday after he earlier pleaded guilty to one of four terrorism-related charges.

Hussein admitted that he owned social media accounts that posted ISIS propaganda. Court heard that one recruitment video, posted in May 2023, received comments from other users that included "I$I$ and proud" and "the video itself is very motivational."

An agreed statement of facts submitted in court says Hussein later shared a longer version of the same video in a text message.

The document says Hussein also posted a message to Snapchat on June 1, 2023, saying his mission would begin the next day — nearly two weeks before he was arrested by RCMP and Calgary police.

“It’s Pride month,” he wrote. “I’ve been waiting.”

The court document says Hussein shared a video to a group chat containing “extremist ideological interpretations that encouraged the killing of gay men.”

Hussein also replied to an automated text message from Alberta’s United Conservative Party asking for his support, the document says.

“No,” he wrote back. “I’m gonna do a terrorist attack on you guys.”

“I’ll blow you guys up with an explosive," he said in response to another automated text asking if the UCP could put a sign up at his house.

During a search, police recovered a notebook with step-by-step instructions for making an improvised explosive device, an ISIS flag, several electronics, a black collapsible baton, knives and imitation brass knuckles.

Canada's crown prosecution service said in a statement Tuesday that Hussein will need to submit DNA results and will be under a lifetime ban from owning firearms after he's released.

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