MONTREAL — A lawyer for a Montreal teen facing terrorism-related charges says the Crown has not sufficiently proven his client was linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or about to join the group.
Defence lawyer Thiago Murias says while evidence presented was worrisome, there was no direct evidence his client was joining ISIL.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named because he is a minor, faces two charges: committing a robbery for the benefit of a terrorist organization and planning to leave Canada to participate in the activities of a terrorist group abroad.
Murias says there was a large amount of propaganda on the boy's computer — mostly from al-Qaida — and no direct contact between the boy and Islamic State militants.
The Crown said in its closing arguments on Tuesday the boy was ready to join up with the group and that he committed an armed robbery in October 2014 to finance the trip.
In his closing today, Murias said the only thing the evidence suggests is that the boy was set on fighting Bashar Assad's regime.
"He had the conviction as a Muslim to help his brothers in Syria," Murias said. "The evidence does not show he wanted to commit a terrorist act in Syria."
Murias told the court his client could also be viewed as an unwitting child soldier and, as such, be immune from prosecution under international law, to which Canada is a signatory.
