A young couple accused of trying to join a terrorist group was in court Wednesday for the beginning of their preliminary hearing.
El Mahdi Jamali and Sabrine Djaermane were arrested in April 2015 and both face a litany of terrorism-related crimes, including trying to leave Canada to join a terrorist organization, possession of explosive materials, and facilitating the actions of a terrorist group.
The couple is also accused of committing an act to profit a terrorist group.
If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Due to the terrorism nature of their charges they were denied bail, because of the difficult challenge in proving they would not be a threat to the public. They have been in jail over a year.
The pair was students at College De Maisonneuve, and in the months preceding their arrest at least five other students left for the Middle East. It was a relative of one of the two that first became suspicious.
The nature of the evidence presented in court during a preliminary hearing cannot be disclosed because it could taint a jury pool.
We can report that the couple, both 19 years old, were handcuffed while they sat in court, and that unlike other appearances in court, Djaermane was not wearing a hijab. The courtroom was packed with friends of the accused. Jamali waved to them when he first entered the courtroom, and some had to be reminded by the judge of the courthouse rules.
Both of them were permitted to take notes during Wednesday's hearings as the Crown presented the first of about 20 witnesses, including police officers, IT specialists and civilians.
The hearing is expected to last 15 days.
