Canadian Convicted of Trying to Join Terror Group

A Canadian was convicted Friday of trying to join Somalia's Shebab militants, marking the first time Ottawa has brought charges of attempting to participate in terrorist activity.

Mohamed Hersi, 28, was arrested at Toronto's airport in March 2011 as he was about to leave for Cairo.

He testified that he was not an extremist and did not support Shebab or terrorism and was on his way to Egypt to study Arabic when he was arrested.

Prosecutors, however, said Hersi was in fact traveling to his birth country of Somalia to join the Shebab.

The Al-Qaida-linked group has claimed responsibility for a suicide commando assault on Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall last year that left at least 67 people dead.

Hersi was also convicted of counseling another person to participate in a terrorist activity, after he provided advice to an undercover policeman in the case.

He faces a maximum 10 years in prison.