CALIFORNIA: The man who had allegedly produced the anti-Islam film has been arrested by federal authorities in California for violating his parole on Thursday.
A judge said Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, was a flight risk and cited a pattern of deception when making his ruling.
Earlier, CNN reported that Nakoula Basseley Nakoula was scheduled to appear before a federal judge on Thursday afternoon for preliminary bail after his parole office called for a federal review.
Nakoula, who allegedly produced the “Innocence of Muslims” film, had later posted it on YouTube under the pseudonym Sam Bacile. He had been released on five years of supervised parole in California, having served a year in prison for bank fraud in 2010. The parole review is likely to look at possible violations of his parole terms which include not accessing a computer or any device which provides access to the internet without the approval of his parole officer.
The 55 year-old had met his parole officer earlier this month, however, he was not arrested at that time.
The film has drawn violent reactions and condemnations from across the Muslim world.
The film has also reignited debates on freedom of speech and hate speech. YouTube has upheld the film, claiming that it does not violate its community guide lines, though the video sharing site self censored the film in Egypt and Libya. The Google Inc. owned site then acted as per local laws and government requests in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia to block the video. The site though has blocked in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sudan for failing to remove the film. The video can be watched on YouTube in other countries with no restrictions.
Nakoula, a Coptic Christian originally from Egypt, also has a $100,000 bounty on his head, announced earlier this week by the Pakistan Minister of Railways Ghulam Bilour.
Federal suit against anti-Islam film
Cindy Lee Garcia, the actor who appeared in a trailer of the anti-Islam film has filed a suit in federal court, to have the trailer pulled off YouTube on copyright grounds, Reuters reported
Garcia had earlier filed a case in California state court which had ruled against her.
Garcia accuses the purported filmmaker of fraud, libel and unfair business practices.
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Why don't people self impose a censor on them selves and not watch such hateful propaganda?
Indifference to such provocations renders them useless and impotent.
Apparently, one of the terms of his bail were that he could not represent himself using anything other than his true, legal name.
Which it's pretty clear that he did - Sam Bacile.