B.C. woman who married ISIS fighter pleads guilty to terrorism charge

A British Columbia woman caught in Syria during the war against ISIS has now pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge one month ahead of her scheduled trial date.

Kimberly Polman pleaded guilty to one count of leaving Canada to participate in the activities of a terrorist group, namely the Islamic State, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada confirmed.

Her trial was scheduled to begin on Nov. 9.

The prosecution service said a sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

The resident of Squamish, B.C., was among dozens of Canadian women who flocked to ISIS-held territory when the terrorist group held parts of Syria.

The mother of three was captured by U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in 2019, and returned home to Canada in 2022.

Polman has depicted herself as a victim who naively married an ISIS fighter she met online, but the RCMP alleged she was committed to the group.

According to an RCMP report, Polman was part of the all-female ISIS battalion, Nusaybah Katibah, which provided weapons training to women.

When she was flown back to Canada, she was released to live at home in B.C. under court-ordered conditions.