OTTAWA — The father of a British-Canadian man imprisoned in Syria says his son is not a terrorist and deserves Canada’s protection.
In a letter to MPs, John Letts says his son, Jack, is a naive young man who went to Syria hoping to create a peaceful, utopian Muslim state and wound up trapped when Islamic terrorists took control over exit points.
Letts says his son — who was dubbed “Jihadi Jack” by the U.K. media — opposed the terrorists and was never involved in violence.
Jack Letts has been detained without charge in a Kurdish prison for 18 months.
Earlier this week, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer blasted the Trudeau government over reports that consular officials initiated contact with Letts — whom Scheer described as a known jihadi fighter — about coming to Canada.
John Letts says if Scheer’s assertions about his son’s involvement in terrorism aren’t challenged, his son will die soon, a victim of fake news and government inaction.
The Canadian Press
