Family of B.C. woman linked to ISIS releases statement as judge mulls decision in Terrorism Peace Bond hearing

Kimberly Polman and her family left the Chilliwack, B.C., courtroom Friday eager to turn the page on a dark chapter.

In a statement, the family told CTV News Polman “has survived through physical and mental trauma over years of war and internment.”

"Kim is cooperative with all authority, is compliant and respectful," the statement reads. "We are hopeful for her healing physically and mentally."

Polman claims in 2015 she was lured to Syria by her husband, an ISIS fighter she met online. In 2019, she was detained by Kurdish forces and spent three years in a detention camp located in northern Syria. Polman was released and returned to Canada in October 2022.

For the past 10 months, Polman has lived under Peace Bond bail conditions that included the wearing of an ankle monitor and strict limits to travel and internet use.

Her Terrorism Peace Bond hearing, which started Wednesday, is a seldom-used section of the Criminal Code intended to determine whether someone poses a risk to Canadians, and if conditions should be imposed to help alleviate that risk. The process also incorporates conditions to help an individual rehabilitate and reintegrate back into Canadian society.

Part of Polman's bail conditions also included counselling for people deemed vulnerable to radicalization.

A publication ban limits what CTV News can report on regarding evidence and arguments made in court.

However, 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.

The judge has yet to share a date for when a decision will be announced. If conditions are imposed, they could last up to a year.