Halifax police lay two terrorism hoax charges in bomb threat against U.S. Consulate

A Halifax man accused of making a bomb threat against the local U.S. Consulate in August faces new terrorism charges.

Ali Assakereh, 54, was arraigned Friday in Halifax bail court on two counts of making a hoax in relation to terrorist activity.

Halifax Regional Police swore the new charges Thursday.

One of the charges alleges Assakereh conveyed information likely to cause a reasonable apprehension that terrorist activity was occurring or would occur, without believing the information to be true.

The other accuses him of committing an act likely to cause a reasonable apprehension about terrorist activity, without believing that such activity was occurring or would occur.

Assakereh appeared in court Friday via a video link from the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth. A Farsi interpreter was in the courtroom to translate the proceedings.

Federal prosecutor Lee-Ann Conrod said the Crown was proceeding by indictment on the new charges. That means each offence carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

The Crown has opposed Assakereh’s release since he first appeared in court Aug. 11. Defence duty counsel Alex Baranowski said Friday that Assakereh was continuing to consent to remain in custody on all his charges, which are scheduled to return to Halifax provincial court Nov. 2.

The U.S. Consulate in Purdy’s Wharf in Halifax received a bomb threat Aug. 9 at about 6:15 p.m. Police were able to identify a suspect and began searching for him.

On Aug. 10 at about 8:10 a.m., police discovered the man’s vehicle in the parkade at Purdy’s Wharf. A propane tank and several containers believed to contain flammable liquid were visible in the vehicle, so police called in their explosive disposal unit and evacuated a large area of the downtown. A suspicious bag was also found nearby.

About six hours later, police confirmed the vehicle and its contents did not pose a risk to the public, and all streets in the downtown core were reopened.

Assakereh was arrested on Thomas Raddall Drive in Clayton Park that day at about 8:35 a.m. Some roads in that area were closed while his belongings were searched.

HRP originally charged Assakereh with uttering threats and committing public mischief by misleading police.

On Aug. 18, the RCMP’s Atlantic national security enforcement section added a charge of making a threat against an internationally protected person: the office of the U.S. consulate general. That offence normally carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, but the prosecution is treating the charge as a terrorism offence and has given notice that it could seek an increased penalty.

Assakereh is represented by Nova Scotia Legal Aid lawyers Kristyn Stevens and Arthur Ferguson.

During a video appearance by Assakereh on Oct. 8, Stevens said the lawyers had instructions from their client to elect to have his case heard in Nova Scotia Supreme Court by a judge alone. She said Assakereh was waiving his right to have a preliminary inquiry in provincial court.

But before the judge could set a date for Assakereh’s first appearance in Supreme Court, he held up a piece of paper with a message on it indicating he did not wish to change courts.

That prompted the judge to suggest that the election be postponed so the defence lawyers could have further discussions with Assakereh.

To make it easier for everyone to communicate, Judge Barbara Beach ordered the accused to appear in court in person Nov. 2.