The Syrian refugee charged with the brutal murder of 13-year-old Marrisa Shen appeared at the Provincial Court of British Columbia for another hearing on May 13.
The case, which first began when Ibrahim Ali was arrested for first-degree murder in September 2018, will be moving towards a pre-trial conference.
Ali was brought to Canada after being privately sponsored by the collective effort of St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church in Vancouver and a number of families on Bowen Island.
According to reports, Ali was only in Canada for four months before allegedly committing the murder.
According to the Supreme Court of British Columbia, pre-trial conferences are used in criminal and extradition trials to determine the scope and duration of a trial.
The supreme court website lists the following topics attended to at a pre-trial conference:
- Any problems with the evidence (warrants, witness statements, etc)
- Trial length
- Technology used during a trial
- Pre-trial rulings and applications
During the conference, the crown is expected to produce a synopsis of their case against the accused, which includes the evidence and witnesses they intend to invoke, among other things.
According to early court disclosures, the crown has possession of over 10,000 pages of evidence against Ibrahim Ali.
Early on in the case, it was revealed that Ali was identified as the suspect using DNA evidence found at the crime scene.
Protestors from the Chinese community, who have been appearing at the Provincial Court of British Columbia since the trial began, blamed the Trudeau government’s refugee policies for the crime.
A mural dedicated to Marrisa Shen alongside a large number of posters and a make-shift display was erected in front of the criminal court.
Protestors lined up in front of cameras holding signs that read “Comprehensive security screening now” and “Justin Trudeau, where is your heart?”
According to organizers, the core of their group is about a dozen activists while up to one hundred people support their cause.
“He [Justin Trudeau] needs to take responsibility and accountability for this murderous case,” claimed one protestor on the condition of anonymity.
“People out here, they represent all sectors of society, not just one particular party,” he continued.
Crown prosecutors and the defence will be meeting for the pre-trial conference on June 4.
