suspects charged in connection with northeast calgary riot won't be testifying, lawyer tells court
the case will be back feb. 5
2 minute read
the windows and glass doors of a business at falconridge plaza were shattered and broken during a clash between two eritrean groups with conflicting views of their home country’s politics. photos were captured on monday, sept. 4, 2023.
azin ghaffari/postmedia
the defence will not be calling evidence in the trial of five members of calgary’s eritrean community accused of taking part in a riot, court was told thursday.
defence counsel alain hepner said he is ready to proceed to arguing the admissibility of statements his five clients gave to police following the sept. 2, 2023, incident in the northeast community of falconridge.
two opposing groups of eritrean calgarians, some sporting white shirts in support of the nation’s government and others, opposed to the current regime, wearing blue shirts clashed that evening outside a banquet hall where one gathered for a celebration.
hepner, whose clients are alleged to be members of the blue shirt group, told justice lloyd robertson he and co-counsel gunntas singh sidhu wish to file written arguments on whether the five accused’s charter rights were violated by police.
the five men, aman araya michael, musie estifanos, gebrekid hailemariam, yamin okubahanes and amanuel sium face charges of participating in a riot, possession of a dangerous weapon and assault with a weapon.
okubahanes faces an additional charge of mischief to property.
crown prosecutor martha o’connor closed her case wednesday with testimony from the alleged assault victim, tahani osman.
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osman told court she was involved in a celebration of an eritrean holiday at the magnolia banquet hall when she left to go home to change.
but she never got out of the parking lot until she was taken away by ambulance after suffering a fractured left elbow and other wounds.
osman said she tripped, either over a curb or while being struck in the leg with a rock, before 10 to 15 men wearing blue shirts began beating her with rocks, sticks and poles.
she said she turtled, with her arms protecting her face and head while she raised her knees up over her chest, as the group descended on her.
“i saw a bunch of guys around the corner who came and started assaulting me, maybe 10 to 15 guys,” osman told court.
she said she was able to identify one of her attackers as the assault began, pointing out okubahanes in the courtroom as someone she had previously seen on live tiktok video.
glass debris are seen on the ground where the windows and glass doors of a business at falconridge plaza were shattered and broken during a clash between two eritrean groups with conflicting views of their home country’s politics. photos were captured on monday, sept. 4, 2023.
azin ghaffari/postmedia
the case will be back feb. 5, to set a date for oral submissions on the charter issue and schedule dates for written submissions to be filed as well.
eleven other alleged members of the blue group, set to go to trial next month and in april, have had their hearings adjourned in hopes of getting the first trial completed before those proceed.
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charges against members of the white group were dropped last year.
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