Jack Abraham Letts (born 1995) is a Canadian Muslim convert, formerly of dual British-Canadian nationality, who has been accused of being a member of the Islamic State (IS).
[3][9] In June 2016, Letts stated that his journey to the Middle East was part of his "search for truth", and denied ever having been a member of IS.
[6] When asked if he was a terrorist, he stated: "Do you mean by the English government's definition, that anyone that opposes a non-Islamic system and man-made laws?
[1] Letts' parents were under restrictions imposed by Mr Justice Saunders; the UK media were therefore unable to report anything they may have known about their son's opinions or activities while he was in Syria.
If Mr Scheer has any evidence that our son is a 'known jihadi fighter' he has a duty to report this information to the Canadian and British authorities.
No such evidence has ever been passed to us, or to our lawyers in the UK[17] The letter states that the family tried to present proof of their son's innocence to the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), but their attempts to arrange a meeting were declined under the Trudeau Government.
[14][dubious – discuss] In October 2017, Letts' parents staged a seven-day hunger strike to bring attention to his case.
[23] In October 2018, Canadian consular assistance for Letts stalled, due to mounting pressure from both the Conservative opposition and the British government.
Letts also mentioned that he would prefer if the two women who were in a similar situation at that time (Shamima Begum and Hoda Muthana) would be prioritised over his own case.
A trial was set for January 2017,[33] but the case was delayed as the couple was given permission to challenge the charges against them 'on a point of law' in the Supreme Court.
[37] A Canadian delegation consisting of a Senator, diplomat, human rights advocate and lawyer were able to visit Jack in the Syrian prison where he was being held in August 2023 and gather evidence related to the conditions of his detention.
[39] In June 2019, after his parents' trial, the BBC reported an interview with him in 2018, in which he said IS used to "encourage you in a sort of indirect way" to put on a suicide vest.
He said he made it obvious to militants at the time that "if there was a battle, I'm ready", but that he now believes suicide attacks are forbidden in Islamic law.