Canada: Samosa man Peshdary arrested for domestic assault amid terror probe acquitted

From The Ottawa Citizen

Arrested for domestic assault amid terrorism investigation, Ottawa man acquitted in court.

By Matthew Pearson June 17, 2011 1

Arrested for domestic assault amid terrorism investigation, Awso Peshdary was acquitted in court Friday.

Photograph by: PAT McGRATH, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN

OTTAWA — A man arrested last summer as part of a sweeping, RCMP-led terrorism investigation and later charged with assaulting and threatening to kill his young wife was acquitted Friday.

Awso Peshdary was facing two counts each of assault and uttering threats in connection with two separate incidents last year.

Ottawa police based the charges on evidence gathered by microphones planted in his house as part of a RCMP terrorism investigation dubbed Project Samosa.

Two Ottawa men and a London, Ont. doctor were arrested and charged with terrorism-related offences, but Peshdary was never fingered in the alleged terrorism plot.

“No link has ever been demonstrated,” his lawyer Richard Morris said outside of court Friday.

Peshdary’s wife — who can’t be named due to a publication ban — testified Friday that she could not remember either of the alleged incidents.

The more serious of the two supposedly occurred Aug. 10, 2010, when Peshdary was said to have pushed his wife in the throat with his arm, causing her to feel choked as he tried to move her away from him.

He also is said to have pushed her in April 2010, and both times threatened her.

“If my husband did hit me, I would remember,” she said.

The woman told the court she was not living at the couple’s home at the time of the alleged April incident because she had just given birth the couple’s first child a few weeks earlier and was staying with her mother for 40 days, as is custom in the Somali culture.

With no other witnesses called and no further evidence entered, Ontario Court Justice Gilles Renaud dismissed the charges and told Peshdary he was free to go. “There’s definitely no evidence to suggest wrongdoing … all allegations are dismissed,” the judge said.

Assistant Crown attorney Julie Scott said simply: “On the evidence that was presented, he was acquitted.”

In earlier court proceedings, Morris had been prepared to question two RCMP officers in an effort to get more information about the surveillance.

The lawyer also questioned how real police believed the danger faced by Peshdary’s wife was, given that no one stepped in at the time the alleged incidents.

Peshdary and his wife left the courthouse quickly and headed home to the same residence for the first time since the man’s arrest, Morris said.

When he was released on bail in September, Peshdary was ordered to have no communication with his wife or infant daughter unless he obtained a court order. He was also told to stay away from four members of his wife’s family, including her mother, and not attend within 500 metres of his wife’s places of employment, residence and worship.

The Crown later consented to a variation of the condition to allow some limited contact, but Morris said it’s still been a difficult 10 months for the young family.

Morris said Peshdary and his family are glad it’s over.

“He’s relieved,” the lawyer said.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

 

 

8 Replies to “Canada: Samosa man Peshdary arrested for domestic assault amid terror probe acquitted”

  1. It is not unusual for victims of domestic violence to support and testify for their attackers, unfortunately this time the AH got off.

  2. Let me see, considering the statistics regarding these types of incidences, I wonder how long it will take before the next one, and as we all know, they get progressively more violent with each occurance. Will she end up dead in some type of honor killing? And just be a statistic of the failed Canadian justice system to admit to the several honor killings, that have already occured here and in so doing, condonning sharia.
    She was forced to keep her mouth shut by that hairy little poorly groomed creep who smirks as he out smarts the dull brained investigators and self-mutilating judges. Hopefully, during Harpers time, we will cultivate a higher level of functioning for the investigative bodies in Canada, RCMP and CSIS, oh, and get a few intelligent judges that can outsmart the lawyers, (higher salaries needed for judges, stiffer competition) and finally, keep out the islamic extremists from applying for jobs in CSIS and RCMP like the system analysist at CSIS with a great job, before they realized….Bizarro

  3. quite frankly both of you people lack intellect. Use your minds instead of just going with what the media says happened. They allege that he hit her LAST year April 8, 2010 do you know what day it is now? JUNE 19 2010 if she was in such danger and if he really was abusing her why not do something then why a year later? People such as your selves are just slaves to the media.

  4. and maybe read about islam and get your own information about it before you start bad mouthing the religion when you have no idea what it teaches, read about it. Maybe after you’ve read about it and after you know what its about then talk but before that keep your nasty mouth shut. I’ve read about it and honestly you should too. One last piece of advice stop being so damn close minded and stupid.

  5. Anne read up on spousal abuse, you will discover a lot of facts you don’t know, and while you are at it get a copy of the Koran that is publish in chronological order and read it, you will then discover that we know more about Islam then you do.

  6. Anne, both comments above have pointed out some societal truths, newspaper article aside. We can be sure that the police don’t waste their time laying charges and issuing restraining orders unless they feel there is a threat to someone’s safety.

    The press provides many angles one of which is an editorial, which this story is not. I don’t understand your point. How are people supposed to get their news? Maybe we could have avoided all this by hanging Gutenberg from the rafters for his silly invention. Or better yet, maybe a self-appointed Special Commissioner of the News could read to the populace every Tuesday from a rock to ensure no one is enslaved by a free press.

    People are free to read and comment from whatever sources they choose. To resort to insults when responding to opinions/statements you don’t like or agree with could also be considered a lack of intellect, newspaper article aside. I don’t see too many people here with their hands tied behind their backs including yourself, who apparently read the same article as the rest of us.

  7. Anne: What would you reccomend we read to understand Islam properly. I have read Koran, many hadiths, some of the Suna and I am getting ready to start the reliance of the traveller, which I will send to anyone who wants it as a PDF.

    I also went to a mosque and heard the whole sermon, about how to treat multiple wives actually, something which is still illegal in Canada yet is openly preached at mosques here) and of course I have talked with many Muslims and watched countless videos from Muslim preachers. So: What would you reccomend I read so I should know Islam better?
    Actually I can think of one thing…

    A newspaper.

    Short of that, this site, Gates of Vienna, Blazing Cat Fur, anything written by David B Harris, Andrew Bostom M.D. Bruce Bawer, Robert Spencer, hell the list is long. But once you learn to de-spin the news, meaning if they do not say the name of someone arrested for terrorism you know he is likely Muslim and if they do not describe him even though they are looking for him based on eye-witness accounts he is probably Arab or black-Muslim, the news gives a pretty good idea of what Islam is all about. The people doing most of the harm in the world today make no secret of their motive and they have solid scriptural support for it unlike the four or five Christians who attacked abortion clinics, the Muslims are supported in any and every attempt to attack the infidel and take his resources in the name of ‘Allah’, Mohamed’s imaginary friend in 81% of US mosque which preach to 95% of mosque-going Muslims. This, from a peer reviewed scientific study recently released in the US and available pretty much everywhere.

    So…

    You were saying?