Tajik Charged with Supporting Terror Was Interrogated on Video EDNY Blocks Coverage

Tajik Charged with Supporting Terror Was Interrogated on Video EDNY Blocks Coverage by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack EDNY COURTHOUSE, Nov 9 – Mansuri Manuchekhri is on trial in the Eastern District of New York, adjacent to the trials of Huawei and the two Cleveland Guardians pitchers.  He is charged as a supporter of ISIS and of ISIS-K, sent to Syria and Turkey from 2021 to 2023 and resulting, they say, in a deadly attack on a church in Istanbul in 2024.   On November 3, with the pitchers still in jury selection,  Mansuri Manuchekhri's defense told a counter story. He is a Tajik truck driver who lives in Brooklyn but carries loads out of state with his friends. Yes, he has visited gun ranges - who hasn't?   He put up videos of them to show his friends- followers?- himself indulging in "something uniquely American."    The prosecution has charged him with possession of firearms by an alien unlawfully present in the US, alleging immigration fraud consisting of overstaying a 2016 tourist visa and entering into a sham marriage in 2017 to attempt to gain legal status.   Perhaps in response, and/or to explain disposably income going to Syria and Turkey, his lawyers called him a bachelor.    On November 4 the defendant's wife of immigration convenience was under cross examination. They were introduced at the courthouse by a woman named Elizabeth, who apparently help $8900 out of $10,000 on the first payment for the marriage.  The defendant stopped paying his "wife" and wouldn't pay her phone bill. She held up, and the prosecutors congratulated her on her way out of the courtroom, some thought too loudly. For the foreseeable future, due to the prosecutors' spokesman John Marzulli targeting Inner City Press for ouster by DE Gene Corcoran, Inner City Press on November 9 remains hindered from report on this or other EDNY trials. Still, by day's end, a thread including this: AUSA: Agent Gamza, I will play the video. [Video plays with this dialogue in it Agent: So this message asks about the sister in jail... Why would that be a crime? Defendant: It wasn't clear to me what he might do with the money so I didn't send it. Agent: There is something you should be saying about Saeed.  Defendant. I thought I might be in trouble Defendant: A terrorist group maybe [Video paused - now, in courtroom AUSA: So why did the defendant say he didn't send the money - terrorism? Witness: Yes. [Video resumes] Agent: You help others in your life? Defendant: Yes.  Agent: So you must have bene pretty sure he wouldn't do right Defendant responds in Russian Interpreter / witness: "I wanted to help the family, he sent a photo of two women in a Turkish jail.  AUSA: I'm going to play GX 602-15, which is a continuation of that interview. [Is EDNY Spokesperson's Office making these video exhibits available? Not to Inner City Press. Nor Oct 2 transcript in Huawei trial is got sealed / closed] Agent: You thought it could be for terror?  AUSA: I'll now play GX 602-18 Agent: If you say you didn't send money to Saeed, that's a lie Defendant: I didn't! Agent: I'm showing you! [Sound of thumping on table] Is the EDNY prosecutors' spokesman trying to block coverage of this interrogation? No action against EDNY Press banning from Judges Kiyo Matsumoto, from whose US v Clase courtroom Inner City Press was ordered out by DOJ Spox Marzulli, more from Judge Ann Donnelly, whose US v Huawei trial, replete with closures, is now off limits entirely to Inner City Press. The three defense firms have been told. Will they or Judge Gonzalez, who rightly docketed Inner City Press' request to make public his Belgal habeas case, take some action on the ban of the Press which made the request?  We'll have more on this. This case is USA v. Manuchekhri, 1:25-cr-88 (Gonzalez)  *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station, NY NY 10013 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2026 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com