FORT ST. JOHN — Terror suspect Othman Hamdan stood inside an RCMP jail cell here as he addressed a B.C. provincial court judge via video link for the first time Monday.
Hamdan, who is facing six charges of counselling murder and other acts of violence for the Islamic State, greeted the court before his lawyer, Bryan Fitzpatrick, requested a publication ban on the proceedings.
Judge Brian Daley, who was also connected to the proceedings via video link from Dawson Creek, ordered the ban.
The proceedings lasted only a few minutes.
Hamdan was remanded into custody until at least Wednesday afternoon when he will attempt to be released on bail.
The 33-year-old refugee from Jordan was dressed in a long-sleeved green shirt. He crossed his arms throughout his appearance as he stood inside a small cinderblock room with what appeared to be a desk inside.
Despite the fact the RCMP jail in which he’s being held is next door to the law courts, Hamdan was not brought into the courthouse.
Undercover police officers sat inside the courtroom during the appearance.
Hamdan remains an enigma.
Despite living in Fort St. John for more than three years, Hamdan has very few connections in the community.
Local Muslim leaders say they had never seen nor heard of him before his arrest Friday.
Neighbours in the rental building he lived in at 8723 86th St. exchanged greetings with him, but little else.
While he registered a residential construction company called Noex Contracting with the B.C. government’s corporate registry on April 26, 2012, he took out no building permits at Fort St. John city hall for the period he ran the company.
He also got a business licence in Fort St. John for Noex on the same day in April 2012.
The Vancouver Sun has learned that Hamdan was allegedly encouraging people to commit murder, aggravated assault and assault causing bodily harm on at least two Facebook pages that have seen been taken down.
The pro-ISIS sites were called the Alliance Defeat and the Defeat of the Alliance.
Another Canadian ISIS supporter, who calls himself Saif Al Kanadi on Twitter, posted in support of Hamdan.
“Pls make dua for our brother Othman Ayed Hamdan who was arrested. May Allah (swt) hasten his release,” Al Kanadi wrote Monday.
