Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy is a
Canadian citizen who was convicted in 2016 of terrorism-related offenses. According to prosecutors, El Bahnasawy plotted via online chat to carry out an attack on
Times Square and the
subway system
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
in
New York City.
In December 2018, El Bahnasawy was sentenced to 40 years in a US federal prison.
Early life
El Bahnasawy was born in
Kuwait. Throughout El Bahnsawy's adolescent life, he struggled with issues related to his mental illness and subsequent substance abuse.
El Bahnsawy had a significant history of mental health difficulties prior to his arrest.
From age 14 El Bahnsawy was placed as an inpatient in three different mental health hospitals, including Egypt, Kuwaiti Center of Psychiatric Health and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Ontario. 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.
Terror plot and arrest
El Bahnasawy began communicating on message boards in support of the
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
(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. 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.
The group was infiltrated by an undercover informant for the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
(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. 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.
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.
Additionally, none of the plans were carried out.
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.
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-Medium or FCI Schuylkill-Medium, both in Pennsylvania, to facilitate regular visitation with his parents and sister.
. Despite the court recommendations, El Bahnasawy has been transferred to numerous prisons and ended up at the ADX facility.
.
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. Franquet lost his eye in the attack. El Bahnasawy was quickly transferred to
United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg. In April 2021, El Bahnasawy was transferred to the
United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility.
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 potentially faces an additional 40 years in prison.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bahnasawy, Abdulrahman
Islamic terrorism in the United States
People convicted on terrorism charges
Terrorist incidents in 2016
Failed terrorist attempts in the United States
Inmates of ADX Florence
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Canadian people imprisoned abroad