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Awso Peshdary’s lawyer, Richard Morris (left), Peshdary (center) and Peshdary’s relative (right) are seen leaving an Ottawa courthouse after being freed on bail, Friday Sept. 3, 2010. Awso Peshdary leaves an Ottawa courthouse after being freed on bail, Friday, Sept. 3, 2010 Awso Peshdary leaves an Ottawa courthouse after being freed on bail, Friday, Sept. 3, 2010 Awso Peshdary leaves an Ottawa courthouse after being freed on bail, Friday, Sept. 3, 2010

Man linked to terror investigation released on bail

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CTV News: Kate Eggins on the released suspect
The 20-year-old Ottawa man who was arrested, but never charged, in connection to an alleged terror plot has been released on bail on two of counts of domestic assault and uttering death threats against his wife.
CTV News Channel: Daniele Hamamdjian in Ottawa
A CTV correspondent who attended the bail hearing for a 20-year-old Ottawa man arrested in connection with a terror probe, but never charged, reveals what will happen next after the suspect was released on bail for unrelated assault allegations

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Awso Peshdary’s lawyer, Richard Morris (left), Peshdary (center) and Peshdary’s relative (right) are seen leaving an Ottawa courthouse after being freed on bail, Friday Sept. 3, 2010. Awso Peshdary leaves an Ottawa courthouse after being freed on bail, Friday, Sept. 3, 2010 Awso Peshdary leaves an Ottawa courthouse after being freed on bail, Friday, Sept. 3, 2010 Awso Peshdary leaves an Ottawa courthouse after being freed on bail, Friday, Sept. 3, 2010

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Awso Peshdary’s lawyer, Richard Morris (left), Peshdary (center) and Peshdary’s relative (right) are seen leaving an Ottawa courthouse after being freed on bail, Friday Sept. 3, 2010.

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Date: Fri. Sep. 3 2010 6:22 PM ET

A 20-year-old Ottawa man arrested -- but never charged -- in connection with a terror probe, was released on bail Friday morning on unrelated domestic assault charges.

Awso Peshdary had been released on bail after his initial arrest, before being immediately rearrested, last weekend. Police linked him to their year-long investigation of an alleged homegrown terror plot, but only charged him with assault and uttering threats.

On Friday, he was granted bail on $8,000, paid for by his family. He was released on the following conditions: he will reside with his parents, he will have no contact with his wife or young child and cannot apply for a passport.

Peshdary is accused of shoving and threatening his wife during incidents in April and August. He faces two counts of uttering threats and two counts of domestic assault.

He made no comment as he left the courthouse but his lawyer, Richard Morris, said that his client intends to fight the charges.

"With respect to the charges that he does face, the appropriate forum for clearing his name will be in a court, and we're going to proceed forward and do that," Morris told reporters.

"With respect to the allegations that brought him to the RCMP's attention, he doesn't have to clear his name. At this point, as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to that. Otherwise charges would have been laid."

Morris said the allegations of domestic assault came to the attention of police through audio surveillance of Peshdary's home, and he suggested that the Mounties had not been taking the case against his client seriously.

"If we operate on the assumption that the RCMP was listening to these taps . . . before the 27th of August, one has to question how real they thought the danger was if they chose not to intervene," he said.

"Either they thought there was no real danger or the RCMP chose to prefer their investigation to the safety of this complainant and her child."

Second hearing

Another man who was charged in the terror probe appeared briefly in court on Friday afternoon, by video link, to discuss his bail hearing.

Khurram Syed Sher, 28, of London, Ont., faces charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act. He is scheduled to appear in court again next Thursday.

Two Ottawa residents, 30-year-old Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh and 26-year-old Misbahuddin Ahmed, were also arrested and charged last week in an alleged terror scheme that police say reaches from Canada to Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.

Alizadeh and Ahmed will appear in court later this month.

Sher and Ahmed have been charged with conspiracy to facilitate terrorist activity. Alizadeh has been charged with conspiracy, committing an act for terrorism purposes and providing or making available property for terrorism purposes.

All three are Canadian citizens.

They were arrested after police seized more than 50 electronic circuit boards, alleging that the group intended to use them as remote detonators for explosive devices. Schematics, videos, terrorist literature and bomb-related documents were also allegedly seized.

Peshdary works at a call centre. The RCMP has released scant details about how he could be related to their terror probe.

But Ottawa defence lawyer Lawrence Greenspon said that it's not unheard of for unrelated charges to be made during the course of a terrorism investigation.

"Inevitably the police are going to come across, not just the targets, but the people they associate with and the people that know them. They're going to come across their activities as well, and sometimes (they) will lead to these kinds of domestic charges," he said.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kate Eggins and files from The Canadian Press

Comments are now closed for this story

Prof. Pye Chartt
said

Focus not just on those who come to this country, and transplant themselves. We're also discovering that terrorism-conspiring Muslim extremists can grow from our own soil. We need to be fully cognizant of how this quiet and unnoticed materialization comes about. (I have a couple solid theories that involve the family unit and places of religious worship.)


Realist in Calgary
said

When the day comes... AND IT WILL.... the dumbfounded Canadian liberal voters will wonder: HOW COULD THIS HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?? ... meanwhile, let's all chip in and 'provide' for another boatload. "Political Correctness" my azzz... it's time someone started telling the truth!!


Jim in the West
said

The defence lawyer Morris is hoping to gain points with his wash-out statement "Either they thought there was no real danger (involving the domestic violence" or the RCMP chose to prefer their investigation to the safety of this complainant and her child." How lame. Of course we are all concerned about the domestic violence, but let's keep some perspective. Even in the worst case, if allowing harm to come to his family allowed the the investigation to carry on and save dozens if not hundreds of lives, that is a truly ugly choice, but it is the ONLY responsible choice.


Keith in Brampton
said

LAC: While I agree that those charged with terrorist offences should be held without bail, this guy wasn't charged with any such offences; rather, with domestic assault. If the Crown doesn't have anything they think they can make stick after months of watching, he may well be innocent. We aren't a police state; we can't just hold people indefinitely on suspicion. Pye Chartt: for once, I more or less agree with you. If people come to Canada to be Canadian, I'm glad to welcome them. But as for the minority of hyphenated Canadians whose loyalties lie primarily or exclusively with the part BEFORE the hyphen - those we don't need; send 'em back. You're either Canadian, or you're not.


Marian Atkinson
said

I find the reporting on Mr. Peshdary very confusing. I gather he is charged with domestic violence, ie. family violence. Why then is the constant reporting linked to the alleged terrorists arrests? Are these not two quite separate situations. (1) domestic/family violence; and (2) suspected terrorists which do *not* include Mr. Peshdary?


Jamie, Ottawa
said

mandosa said, "Ever since we determined that we didn't like our own children anymore (what else can you call the 1.x child per family statistic?)" >> It's not that we don't like children, we're just now given the choice of living our lives by doing what we want, when we want and having money left over, or, we can have children.


Mike
said

Like my mother used to say ..."SHOW ME WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE AND I'LL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE".


Prof. Pye Chartt
said

The naive and flattered slow-learners (mostly on the political left) are finally being forced to witness the fact that attained Canadian citizenship doesn't equate to loving this nation. It amounts to seizing an opportunity. For the vast majority, it's a wondrous opportunity, and one embodying Canadian pride. For a small number, however, it is an "opportunity" to leave an uncivilized dump abroad, establish roots here, and still maintain an allegiance to the mother country. (After all, Canadians believe not in a cultural melting pot but, rather, a cultural mosaic, where everybody enjoys being a hyphenated "Canadian.") We're being used by some people. They want our education system, our economy, our public services, and our "luxurious" standard of living...but, they don't give a damn about Canada. In fact, based upon their bitterly misguided religious and political convictions, they actually despise/hate us. As disguise-sporting terrorists, operating in our midst, they'd like nothing more than to kill a whole bunch of us in one glorious and memorable event. Hopefully, we're now, finally, waking up to the reality. The next propagated myth to be shattered is that their contempt for Western society, somehow, now, suddenly, has only to do with Afghanistan or Iraq. Nope. (These murder-plotting liars and manipulators always have a crafted agenda. Their real issue, as readily put forth by Osama bin Laden, has to do with an all-consuming hate for Israel, and the West's support of the democratic state. Wise up.)


Doug # BC
said

"Freeman on the Prairie" has got it right,but who will reform the immigration system that Trudeau and his minions burdened us with.The Liberals won't help becuase they would have to admit that their system is a failure.In fact,Ignatieff told his puppets to keep quiet on the Tamil issue just last week.The BLOC and the NDP are to weak kneed and to far left to consider more stringent screening processes,or programs to tell new Canadians that their citizenship comes with lots of rights,but alos RESPONSIBILITIES. There was a day,before Trudeau,that both refugees and immigrants were told that commiting a crime punishable by more than two years in jail WOULD lead to them being removed from Canada.Permanently. Wake up Canada.We CAN have immigration laws that are tough,fair,generous,and hard to abuse.But WE THE PEOPLE have to demand those changes.In the end,if we get them,the results will be better for all of us.That would include all Canadians,and all those who hope to come here.The abuses of our current systems cast suspicion on all refugees and all recent immigrants.A new system would have to be fair to all,and SEEN to be fair. This CAN be fixed.Perhaps not easily,but it can be fixed.If you support the Liberals or the NDP, and cannot turn right for a while,then write or E-mail your MP and demand change.Demand that they work with whoever forms government,and fix this mess.Partisan politics cannot obstruct all political decisions until the day we have a majority government.One that may or may not choose to act on a file we all know needs immediate repair.Tell your MP to JUST DO IT!!!


Paul ~ Kitchener
said

I think the news media only desires "Headlines", and they will make it so, only to stimulate ~ reaction ~ not report true news.All we read, and hear, and see, is "Murder ~ Death ~ Pestilence ~ Rape, from all areas of the globe, and anywhere they can find it.As to the landed TAMILS, there here, will stay here, & live, as they have since landing, on "OUR TAX DOLLARS" - "God help us ALl" !


LAC
said

What a joke. Once again we are way too soft. If we're talking about terrorism then bail shouldn't even be a consideration.


mandosa
said

i'd say we, as the west, are essentially screwed. Its only a matter of time before these guys are successful. The blame for our undoing is to be laid entirely at our own doorstep. Ever since we determined that we didn't like our own children anymore (what else can you call the 1.x child per family statistic?), and that socialism was king and had to be funded by *somebody*, and our political correctness wouldn't let us discriminate (gasp) on any criteria the warm bodies we would allow to immigrate to pay our bills... we lost.


Freeman on the Prairie
said

Any foreign born person who is convicted of a criminal offense in Canada should be stripped of Canadian citizenship and deported to country of origin after serving the full prison term for any offenses committed. They should also be banned from Canada in perpetuity!


KJ in Kingston Ontario
said

It will be interesting to see how well our justice system stands up against the threat of religious terrorism and fanaticism. We don't seem to be off to a very good start on this file. It will likely require a paradigm shifting event to focus our collective thought process --- and if there is any truth to the charges put forward against some of these individuals, we are likely going to get one.


Slewhigh Yendick
said

from the article>> "All three are Canadian citizens" What a surprize.. 490 Tamils anxiously await their approval of citizenship,, while the Canadian media seems to have forgotten about that shipload.. I'm wondering if the NEXT ship load will even hit the headlines ?? I'm really happy that the Canadian pays to help out all the poor an wretched people of the world.. But wait a minute,, that was the Americans that said that was it not???


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I think he was pushed to take matters into his own hands. I have a teenage son and if he was involved with a drug dealer I would be furious and try anything to save him like this father did for his daughter. Why do police often say they can't do anything until it's too late? Whether it be a drug dealer or an abusive spouse, the police can't seem to do anything until something really bad happens. In this case they could have raided the drug dealers home and arrested him. The whole town knew what was going on in that house but yet the police chose to do nothing. Release this man and give him a medal for doing the right thing by his daughter. I can't wait to see the episode on W5, I will certainly be watching this one.

Shelley

W5: How far would you go to save your child?