Terrorism charges laid against B.C. woman who married ISIS fighter

A B.C. woman who was repatriated from a Syrian prison camp in 2022 has been arrested and charged with terrorism offences, police announced Saturday.

The charges against 51-year-old Squamish resident Kimberly Polman are “leaving Canada to participate in the activity of a terrorist group” and “participation in the activity of a terrorist group,” Mounties from B.C. and the Federal Serious and Organized Crime unit said in a news release.

Police said the charges stem from an ongoing investigation of allegations that Polman left Canada in 2015 and travelled to Syria to join ISIS.

Polman has been subject to a terrorism peace bond since November 2023. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 2, in Vancouver provincial court.

“The success of this investigation is directly attributable to the work done by our dedicated investigators and the strength of our policing and intelligence partnerships,” said Supt. Jag Dhot of the Pacific Region RCMP Federal Policing Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, in the release.

“Along with our Canadian and international partners, the RCMP remains committed to combating violent extremism both in Canada and abroad, policing partners, local communities and families are all key in the successful identification, prevention and disruption of terrorist activities, as well as individual disengagement from violent extremism.”

Polman has insisted she was lured to Syria in 2015 by her husband, an ISIS member whom she met online.

In a 2020 report, Human Rights Watch described Polman as a U.S.-Canadian dual citizen who converted to Islam as an adult and mostly lived in Canada before travelling to Syria to be an ISIS nurse. 

She was arrested by Kurdish fighters in Syria for her alleged association with ISIS in 2019, and was detained there in a camp for internally displaced persons until her repatriation in October 2022.

Polman spoke to CTV News from the camp in February 2022. At the time, she was one of nearly 50 Canadians in the camp, which included 2,600 people, many of them allegedly wives, widows and families of ISIS members.

Polman and another woman, Oumaima Chouay, were repatriated at the same time. Police arrested both women when they landed in Montreal.

Chouay was charged shortly after her arrest, but Polman was released on a peace bond, with conditions that included the wearing of an ankle monitor and strict limits to travel and internet use.

Last November, after a terrorism peace bond hearing, Polman was released again with further conditions.

During the terrorism peace bond hearing in Chilliwack provincial court, Polman’s family released a statement to CTV News, describing her as “co-operative with all authority,” “compliant” and “respectful.”

At the time, members of Polman’s family told CTV News not only is Polman no longer associated with ISIS, she believes she’s a target of the terrorist group and fears for her life.

With files from CTVNews.ca’s Megan Delaire and CTV News Vancouver’s Kevin Charach