ISIS terrorist who plotted NYC mass slaughter gets 50 more years for blinding prison guard

An ISIS terrorist who plotted a 9/11-style attack on New York City has been hit with another 50 years in prison for stabbing two correctional officers, causing one to lose his right eye, while serving a 40-year sentence for his original terror conspiracy.

Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, 28, of Ontario, Canada, has now been sentenced to a combined 90 years behind bars after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the December 2020 attack at a federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania, according to the Justice Department.

El Bahnasawy’s original sentence stemmed from a 2016 ISIS-inspired plot to detonate bombs in Times Square and the subway system and open fire on concert crowds during Ramadan.

The Canadian national, who once spoke of wanting to “create the next 9/11,” was arrested in May 2016 after traveling from Canada to the New York area to prepare for the attacks.

On Dec. 7, 2020, El Bahnasawy stabbed a correctional officer in the head and face at US Penitentiary Allenwood with a makeshift weapon constructed from part of a steel desk in his cell.

The guard eventually lost his right eye from the injuries.

When a second officer came to help, El Bahnasawy stabbed her in the hand.
A note recovered from El Bahnasawy’s sock after he was restrained read: “This is a terrorist attack for the Islamic State.”

A pledge of allegiance to ISIS was also found taped inside a locker in his cell.

El Bahnasawy pleaded guilty in November 2025 to charges including assault with intent to commit murder, possession of prison contraband, and providing material support to ISIS.

“Today’s sentence will further ensure that Bahnasawy remains in prison, where he can do much less harm, for a very long time,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said Monday.

El Bahnasawy’s attorney, Andy Frisch, blamed the prison assault on his client’s longstanding mental health problems and accused federal authorities of failing to provide adequate psychiatric care.

“He’s not a terrorist,” Frisch told The Post, claiming that a government expert had confirmed diagnoses including schizophrenia and psychotic disorders.

Frisch said El Bahnasawy’s parents repeatedly emailed prison officials about the medication and treatment their son required, but their warnings went unheeded.

“Those emails were ignored,” he said.

The lawyer blamed inadequate treatment, segregation and transfers between prisons for worsening his client’s condition, claiming that “he had a psychotic episode, which has resulted in this most recent sentence.”

“My hope is that respect for corrections officers requires more than imposing a serious sentence. It requires that the United States reconsider how it manages mentally ill inmates,” Frisch said.

Asked whether he planned to appeal, Frisch said El Bahnasawy and his parents “are considering their options.”