Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, an Ontario man serving time for an ISIS plot, received an additional 50-year sentence for a 2020 prison attack that blinded a guard.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, a 28-year-old Canadian national from Ontario, has been sentenced to an additional 50 years in federal prison for a violent attack on two correctional officers at U.S. Penitentiary Allenwood in Pennsylvania. The new sentence will run consecutively to the 40-year term he is already serving for plotting a mass-casualty terrorist attack in New York City on behalf of ISIS.
The assault occurred on Dec. 7, 2020. According to federal prosecutors, El Bahnasawy fashioned a weapon from part of a steel desk in his cell. He stabbed one officer in the head and face, injuries that resulted in the officer losing his right eye. When a second officer responded to the incident, El Bahnasawy stabbed her in the hand.
After corrections officers restrained El Bahnasawy, they discovered a note in his sock. The note read, "This is a terrorist attack for the Islamic State." Investigators also found a pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq taped inside the locker door in his prison cell.
El Bahnasawy pleaded guilty in November 2025 to charges including assault, assault with intent to commit murder, possession of contraband inside a prison, and providing material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
John Eisenberg, assistant attorney general for national security, stated in a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice that the attack was "once again on behalf of ISIS." He added, "Today’s sentence will further ensure that Bahnasawy remains in prison, where he can do much less harm, for a very long time."
Brian Miller, the Pennsylvania U.S. attorney, said the justice department "will prosecute those who aid, attempt to aid, or commit violence on behalf of the pernicious ISIS ideology wherever they may be found." Miller noted that the sentence reflects an "unwavering commitment to fight those who perpetrate violence in the name of ISIS even behind prison walls."
Jarod Brown, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, addressed the severity of the incident. "Although he was behind bars, this convicted terrorist committed a horrific attack on two corrections officers in the name of ISIS, which they fortunately survived," Brown said. "Today’s sentencing shows that violent attacks by those who support the evil ideology of ISIS or other foreign terrorist organizations cannot be tolerated by our society."
El Bahnasawy was originally arrested in May 2016 after traveling from Canada to the New York City area to carry out planned attacks. He had conspired with two other men to bomb Times Square, attack subway passengers, and shoot at concert crowds during Ramadan. The plot was infiltrated by an undercover FBI agent posing as an ISIS supporter. El Bahnasawy pleaded guilty to these charges on Oct. 13, 2016.
His attorney, Andy Frisch, attributed the prison assault to El Bahnasawy’s mental health issues. Frisch claimed that a government expert had confirmed diagnoses including schizophrenia and psychotic disorders. "He’s not a terrorist," Frisch told The Post, arguing that federal authorities failed to provide adequate psychiatric care. Frisch stated that El Bahnasawy’s parents had emailed prison officials about required medication and treatment, but "Those emails were ignored."
Frisch said the defense is considering options regarding an appeal. The New York Post reported that El Bahnasawy’s mother, Khadiga Metwally, is running for a school board seat in suburban Toronto.
This sentencing highlights the ongoing legal and security challenges posed by incarcerated terrorists. It underscores the federal government's stance that violence committed by inmates in support of foreign terrorist organizations will be prosecuted severely, regardless of the perpetrators' existing sentences. The case also brings attention to the management of mentally ill inmates within the federal prison system, a point raised by the defense.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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