Abdi Hersy, Calgary imam, wanted in U.S. on sex assault charges

CANADA
CBC News

By Allison Dempster, CBC News

A prominent voice in Calgary’s Somali community is wanted in the United States on sexual assault charges, CBC News has learned..

Imam Abdi Hersy denies the allegations that he sexually assaulted two women while working as a respiratory therapist in the United States in 2006, but says he has not been able to clear his name because of immigration issues.

“In Canada, and in U.S.A., I am to be treated as being innocent until proven guilty,” Hersy said in a statement.

“Since being in Canada, he has become a pillar of his community, working with the [Calgary Police Service] and [Chief] Rick Hanson, to deal with criminalization and radicalization within his community,” said lawyer Raj Sharma, who represents Hersy.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.