Uzair Paracha
Uzair Paracha | |
|---|---|
عزیر پراچہ | |
| Born | January 7, 1980 Karachi, Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Citizenship | Pakistan, U.S. |
| Education | Institute of Business Administration |
| Notable work | Secular Stagnation |
| Criminal status | Conviction voided July 3, 2018 |
| Criminal charge | providing material support to al-Qaeda |
| Penalty | 30 years in prison, voided after 16 years |
Uzair Paracha (born January 7, 1980)[1] is a Pakistani citizen previously convicted of providing material support to al-Qaeda by a court in New York City in 2005.[2] He received a 30-year prison sentence[3] which was voided 18 years later, with his judge stating that letting his conviction stand was a "manifest injustice".[4] In March 2020 the American government gave up on taking Uzair to trial again and he was released and repatriated after being imprisoned for 17 years.[4]
Early life
[edit]He is the son of Saifullah Paracha, a Pakistan citizen who was held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba.[3][4] Uzair was born in Pakistan on January 7, 1980.[1] His mother Farhat Paracha was a student of sociology at New York University. Uzair Paracha himself attended Rainbow Montessori school in Brooklyn sometime before age 5.[1] As a teen he attended B. V. S. Parsi High School in Karachi, Pakistan.[1] Paracha subsequently obtained a degree in business administration from Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi in 2003.
Arrest and conviction
[edit]At the time of arrest in March 2003, he was a Permanent resident of the United States.[5] He was initially held as a material witness in the investigation against al-Qaeda after the September 11 attacks. He was later charged with helping alleged al-Qaeda operative Majid Khan (Guantanamo Bay detainee 10020) obtain legal status in U.S. fraudulently,[5] Uzair claims he did not know that Khan was an alleged al Qaeda operative. During his trial he refused a court settlement of 5 to 8 years in prison.[6] In November 2005, he was convicted of helping Khan.[2] In July 2006, he was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.[7] He was serving his sentence at FCI Terre Haute until his conviction was deemed void.[8]
Voided conviction
[edit]Over 15 years after his arrest, Uzair's conviction was deemed void on July 3, 2018 by Judge Sidney H. Stein based on newly discovered statements made by Ammar al-Baluchi, Majid Khan, and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, bringing his involvement and intentions into question. Stein, who oversaw Paracha’s trial and imposed his sentence, called it a “manifest injustice” to let the conviction stand and granted Paracha’s request, made in November 2008, for a new trial.
He was freed on March 13, 2020 and willingly repatriated to Pakistan, giving up his resident status.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Rohde, David (18 August 2003). "Pakistani Detainee Enjoyed Deep U.S. Roots". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ a b "US convicts man of al-Qaeda plot". BBC. 24 November 2005. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Dossier Shows Push for More Attacks After 9/11". The New York Times. 25 April 2011. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ^ a b c d Weiser, Benjamin (16 March 2020). "Once Accused Al-Qaeda Sympathizer Goes Home". U.S. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
- ^ a b "Pakistani on US al-Qaeda charge". BBC. 8 August 2003. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ^ "Forever prisoners: were a father and son wrongly ensnared by America's war on terror?". the Guardian. 2018-12-13. Archived from the original on 2020-12-25. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
- ^ Schapiro, Rich (21 July 2006). "30 YRS. IN QAEDA PLOT. Man snuck in terrorist". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ "Inmate search: FCI Terre Haute". Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2011.