Aimee Lucia Vasconez, an Edmonton woman who federal prosecutors allege was married to two ISIS fighters and sought military training, had a terrorism peace bond approved by an Alberta court. Despite not facing any criminal charges, Vasconez will have to abide by a list of restrictions for the next 12 months, including living in an Edmonton apartment, staying in the province, and not possessing any device capable of accessing the internet. The court imposed the peace bond in the name of public safety after hearing the RCMP’s allegations about Vasconez’s time in Syria, where she lived in ISIS-held territory and allegedly received military training.
Vasconez left Canada in 2015 with her two children and her first husband, Ali Abdel-Jabar, who died fighting for ISIS. She remarried, but her second husband also died in combat. The RCMP claims to have obtained a letter concerning her application for martyrdom benefits and documentation indicating her approval for ISIS fighter training. After being captured by U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in February 2019, Vasconez was held for four years in a detention camp for ISIS families in Syria until the Canadian government secured her release in April 2023. Upon her return to Canada, she was arrested by the RCMP and later released to live with her mother in Edmonton under strict conditions.
Vasconez’s case is not unique, as two other Edmonton women, sisters-in-law Helena Carson and Dina Kalouti, are scheduled to face similar peace bond hearings in July. Peace bonds have become Canada’s primary response to the threats posed by women returning from ISIS, with dozens of Canadian women having joined the group during the conflict in Syria and Iraq. Despite the illegality of leaving the country to participate in terrorism, Canada has charged few of its ISIS women, with only a small fraction facing criminal charges, while others are subjected to peace bond cases.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has expressed concerns about the security threats posed by women returning from Syria and has collaborated with law enforcement agencies to mitigate potential threats to national security. In its latest annual report, CSIS warned of the continued threat posed by ISIS, despite the deaths of key figures in the group. The agency also highlighted the arrest of an alleged ISIS supporter in Surrey, B.C., for a stabbing attack on a bus, emphasizing that such attacks may continue at an unpredictable pace in 2024, depending on various factors including global events, ISIS propaganda, and individual motivations.
As Canada continues to grapple with the return of individuals who joined ISIS during the conflict, the government has also repatriated Canadian children from the camps for ISIS detainees in Syria. At the time of Vasconez’s capture, she shared her story with CNN, revealing that her husbands had ordered her to join them in Syria, claiming it was her duty as a Muslim wife to obey. Vasconez’s experience sheds light on the complex challenges faced by individuals who become involved with terrorist organizations and the ongoing efforts to address the threat posed by returning foreign fighters.
