TORONTO – A Toronto jury will continue deliberating the fate today of two men accusing of plotting to derail a Via Rail passenger train.
Raed Jaser and Chiheb Esseghaier face multiple terrorism-related charges.
Jaser has pleaded not guilty and Esseghaier chose not to participate in his trial because he wanted to be judged by the rules of the Qur’an.
READ MORE: Via Rail terror suspect tried to deradicalize co-accused
A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf by the judge presiding over the case.
Jaser’s lawyer has argued he was only feigning interest in alleged terror plots.
He said Jaser was part of an elaborate con to extract money from his co-accused and an undercover FBI agent who befriended them.
READ MORE: What we know about an unidentified FBI agent who testified at Via Rail trial
A transcript of an interview with an RCMP officer on the day he was arrested shows Jaser trying tried to Esseghaier as an extremist with a “disturbed” mind.
Jaser told the investigator in the transcript released yesterday that he only pretended to go along with the idea in an attempt to deradicalize his co-accused.
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