Abdulrahman El bahnasawy is a severely mentally ill Canadian citizen who was likely entrapped, arrested and 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 in New York City. In December 2018, El bahnasawy was sentenced to 40 years in a US federal prison. There are many calls from experts and human right activists for his transfer to a Canadian prison to get the psychiatric help he needs.i
i Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdulrahman_El_Bahnasawy (Accessed: 21 September 2023).
A. El bahnasawy. Autographed Letter, Signed. Handwritten, Commercial #10 (4.125 × 9.5 envelope). Denver, CO. Pmk: September 10, 2023. Content unknown. SEALED.
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)
Abdulrahman El bahnasawy (b.1998 | age 25 years), a Canadian citizen; Talha Haroon, a U.S. citizen residing in Pakistan; and Russell Salic, a Philippine citizen were arrested for participating in an international plot to carry out terrorist attacks in New York City for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The complaints against the defendants were unsealed Oct. 6, 2017. Communicating through Internet messaging applications, these three men allegedly plotted to conduct bombings and shootings in heavily populated areas of New York City during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in 2016 in the name of ISIS (the "NYC Attacks").
El bahnasawy purchased bomb-making materials and helped secure a cabin within driving distance of New York City to use for building the explosive devices and staging the NYC Attacks. Haroon allegedly made plans to travel from Pakistan to New York City to join El bahnasawy in carrying out the attacks, and traveled within Pakistan to meet with explosives experts in furtherance of the plot. And as El bahnasawy and Haroon prepared to execute the NYC Attacks, Salic allegedly wired money from the Philippines to the United States to help fund the terrorist operation. The planned attacks included detonating bombs in Times Square and the New York City subway system, and shooting civilians at specific concert venues.
Bahnasawy was sentenced to 40 years in prison for plotting to carry out the 2016 terrorist attacks in NYC on behalf of ISIS.i
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.ii
VIDEO: The Story of Abdulrahman El bahnasawy | https://youtu.be/BFW3ScHKGNQ
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i USA v. El bahnasawy, Abdulrahman. et al. (no date) The Investigative Project on Terrorism. Available at: https://www.investigativeproject.org/case/815/us-v-el-bahnasawy (Accessed: 21 September 2023).
ii Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy (no date) Wikiwand. Available at: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Abdulrahman_El_Bahnasawy (Accessed: 21 September 2023).