NYC attack plot: Pakistani-American’s extradition hearing delayed
Lawyer raises doubts on investigation which declared him party to terror conspiracy
Lawyer raises doubts on investigation which declared him party to terror conspiracy. PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
A court on Friday delayed an extradition hearing for a Pakistani-American man who is accused of plotting attacks in New York City for Da’esh (Islamic State) without fixing a new date, the man's lawyer said.
Authorities had arrested 19-year-old Talha Haroon in Islamabad in 2016 after US authorities identified him as one of three men, along with a Canadian citizen and a man from the Philippines, who were planning attacks on Manhattan's Times Square and the city's subway system.
His lawyer and family deny the charges. Haroon's lawyer termed the investigation a ‘sting operation’ carried out by an investigating officer motivated by career advancement.
"The FBI projected this as a high-level story, but these people don't have the qualifications to kill a monkey," said the lawyer, Idrees Ashraf.
Ashraf said his client was only in contact with the investigating officer but never directly spoke with any of the co-accused, raising serious doubts about the nature of the investigation.
"According to the criminal complaint, the FBI agent communicated with Talha online, and has said he was active in da’esh, but no proof of militant links has been provided," Ashraf contended.
One of the accused men, 19-year-old Canadian citizen Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, has been in US custody since May 2016.
He pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in October 2016, prosecutors said.
The third accused, 37-year old Russel Salic, was arrested in the Philippines in April, according to the office of Acting US Attorney Joon Kim.
Prosecutors say Salic maintained a pro-da’esh social media presence and had allegedly told the undercover officer he had been communicating with El Bahnasawy, and sent the officer about $423 from the Philippines to help pay for the attacks.
Haroon, however, has been in custody for over a year. A district magistrate had recommended that he should be extradited. However, his family had moved the Islamabad High Court against the extradition orders, contending that Haroon — a US citizen — had been falsely accused of being a fugitive.
"He was one of the best students in his school," Haroon's father said, adding that the teenager had moved to Pakistan in 2014 after finishing high school.
"He is naive and speaks from his heart," Ashraf added. "He is not the sort of boy who can commit such brutal acts."
US prosecutors, however, said they expect Haroon and Salic to be extradited to face charges, which include conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism and to support a terrorist organisation.
If convicted of the most serious charges, they face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2017.
A court on Friday delayed an extradition hearing for a Pakistani-American man who is accused of plotting attacks in New York City for Da’esh (Islamic State) without fixing a new date, the man's lawyer said.
Authorities had arrested 19-year-old Talha Haroon in Islamabad in 2016 after US authorities identified him as one of three men, along with a Canadian citizen and a man from the Philippines, who were planning attacks on Manhattan's Times Square and the city's subway system.
His lawyer and family deny the charges. Haroon's lawyer termed the investigation a ‘sting operation’ carried out by an investigating officer motivated by career advancement.
"The FBI projected this as a high-level story, but these people don't have the qualifications to kill a monkey," said the lawyer, Idrees Ashraf.
Ashraf said his client was only in contact with the investigating officer but never directly spoke with any of the co-accused, raising serious doubts about the nature of the investigation.
"According to the criminal complaint, the FBI agent communicated with Talha online, and has said he was active in da’esh, but no proof of militant links has been provided," Ashraf contended.
One of the accused men, 19-year-old Canadian citizen Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, has been in US custody since May 2016.
He pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in October 2016, prosecutors said.
The third accused, 37-year old Russel Salic, was arrested in the Philippines in April, according to the office of Acting US Attorney Joon Kim.
Prosecutors say Salic maintained a pro-da’esh social media presence and had allegedly told the undercover officer he had been communicating with El Bahnasawy, and sent the officer about $423 from the Philippines to help pay for the attacks.
Haroon, however, has been in custody for over a year. A district magistrate had recommended that he should be extradited. However, his family had moved the Islamabad High Court against the extradition orders, contending that Haroon — a US citizen — had been falsely accused of being a fugitive.
"He was one of the best students in his school," Haroon's father said, adding that the teenager had moved to Pakistan in 2014 after finishing high school.
"He is naive and speaks from his heart," Ashraf added. "He is not the sort of boy who can commit such brutal acts."
US prosecutors, however, said they expect Haroon and Salic to be extradited to face charges, which include conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism and to support a terrorist organisation.
If convicted of the most serious charges, they face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2017.