An Ontario court has shut down an appeal for bail by a man accused of attempting to join ISIS with his wife.
22-year-old Guelph resident Ikar Mao will have to remain in detention to face his charges, according to Global News.
Mao, who was arrested in December 2019, is being charged with participating in the activity of a terrorist group and leaving Canada to participate in the activity of a terrorist group.
He and his wife were arrested in Turkey while travelling alongside the country’s border with Syria.
Prior to the arrest, Mao went on the social media website Couchsurfing claiming that he and his wife were travelling in the country out of a desire to relocate there.
“I am travelling in Turkey with my wife because we want to move here soon, especially in Sanliurfa, because both Turkish and Arabic are spoken here,” wrote Mao.
Upon being sent back to Canada, Mao was arrested on a terrorism peace bond in late 2019. Court documents of the arrest referenced a “fear of terrorism offence.”
Mao was released shortly after his initial arrest but apprehended again for the two terrorism offences.
According to Public Safety Canada estimates, around 60 suspected terrorists have returned to Canada after fighting for extremist organizations abroad.
The case is currently under a publication ban. Mao’s wife is not facing any charges.
