Federal officials arrested the 72-year-old at Los Angeles International Airport in July on immigration fraud charges, specifically for denying in his visa and US citizenship applications that he had persecuted anyone in Syria, according to a criminal complaint. He had purchased a round-trip ticket to leave Los Angeles International Airport on July 10, en route to Beirut, Lebanon.
His attorney, Nina Marino, stated in an emailed statement, "Our client vehemently denies these politically motivated false allegations," describing the case as a "misleading use" of government resources by the US Department of Justice to "prosecute a foreign national for alleged crimes in a foreign country against non-US citizens."
The indictment alleges that Al-Sheikh immigrated to the United States in 2020 and applied for citizenship in 2023.
Federal prosecutors said they have issued arrest warrants for the two officials who remain at large.
If convicted, Al-Sheikh faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit torture, in addition to a maximum of 10 years for each count of immigration fraud.
(With Reuters Input)
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