A Canadian Tamil was found guilty of providing material support to a banned terrorist organisation and sentenced to two years in prison.
Suresh Sriskandarajah, who was extradited to the US last December and has been in detention since, pleaded guilty to the charge in July and asked to be sentenced to time already served.
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 15 years, but his background and character is thought to have alleviated the final judgement.
His defence lawyer Joshua Dratel said in the sentencing report that Sriskandarajah’s “extraordinary background, character and accomplishments, as well as certain unique elements of the case, more than justify a sentence of ‘time served.’”
He also detailed achievements of the former president of the Tamil Students Association at the University of Waterloo.
“Suresh’s background, history, and character demonstrate that his criminal conduct represents an aberration in a life dedicated to family, education and community,” he wrote.
Dratel pointed towards letters of support from Canadian parliamentarians, including Craig Scott, Rathika Sitsabaiesan and Peter Julian.
“MP Scott writes that because of his ‘impressive educational accomplishments,’ Suresh ‘truly stand[s] out as a role model’ for young Canadian Tamils, who are ‘amongst the most socially and educationally disadvantaged group’ in Canadian society.
“MP Scott’s experience with Suresh assures him that, ‘if given the chance, he will give back — as husband, as citizen, as humanitarian,’” according to the report.