By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 16 – Ali Kourani was found guilty of material support to Hezbollah on May 16 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.Afterward Kourani's lawyer Alexei Schacht said Kourani will appeal, focusing on the admission into evidence of statements he made to FBI agents at meeting at Seton Hall.
This was the subject of a suppression hearing before SDNY Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, with Schacht arguing that the statements were involuntary and based on false promises of confidentiality by the FBI agents. Kourani's lawyer at the time, Mr. Denbeaux, was affiliated with Seton Hall. It seems a mutual friend Mr. Hickman put the two together.
Inner City Press asked Schacht if Kourani may have some recourse with regard to Denbeaux. It seems not, since that might require as a predicate that Kourani was found not guilty.
In a conference on March 9, 2018 with Schacht and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emil J. Bove and Amanda L. Houle, Judge Hellerstein asked Schacht, "Let's say Mr. Kourani and his lawyer had a deep conversation, the lawyer gave professional advice that Mr. Kourani can't be prosecuted and it turns out that advise was wrong. Does Mr. Kourani have a remedy other than against his lawyer?"
Schacht replied, "He certainly has, I think, under those circumstances a valid claim of ineffective assistance of counsel."
It is unclear if after the May 16 verdict that is the case. More on Patreon, here.
The sentencing will be on September 27 at 11 am. Schacht explained that the Sentencing Guidelines are extremly tough in terrorism cases, with the defendant's lack of criminal history making no difference. And so, the appeal. Inner City Press will continue to follow this case.
As the US summed up its Hezbollah terrorism prosecution against Ali Kourani with photos of his passport with an SIM card taped in it, the courtroom was full. Hezbollah's yellow and green logo was emblazoned on the exhibits, many headlined "Hizballah Grooming."
Ali Kourani traveled to China for the IJO; he took photographs of 26 Federal Plaza and 335 Adams Street in Brooklyn. Then after one of his handlers Mohammed Shawraba was exposed as a double agent for Israel, the IJO cut Ali Kourani loose. He offered evidence to FBI agents during meetings at Seton Hall, asking in exchange that his estranged wife's family be put on the no-fly list.
He asked his lawyer Denbeaux to step outside and tried to make a deal. It did not work.
