An Iraqi citizen facing charges for allegedly orchestrating at least 18 attacks across Europe entered a not guilty plea Monday in a Manhattan federal courtroom, where he declared himself a “prisoner of war” and made statements about civilian casualties.
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi eventually took his seat in the federal courthouse after two marshals approached him at the judge’s direction. One marshal placed a hand on his shoulder to guide him to his chair.
Al-Saadi appeared cooperative rather than disruptive as he made comments beyond his plea response. The charges allege he conspired to provide material support to Kata’ib Hizballah, an Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militant group, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“I’m not guilty in a war situation,” Al-Saadi stated, before adding through an Arabic translator: “I’m a prisoner of war. I’m not a threat. Children and women are being killed by your rockets.”
Judge Colleen McMahon responded by saying: “The defendant will be seated please,” which prompted the marshals behind Al-Saadi to move up to where he was seated.
The U.S. government has designated both Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as foreign terrorist organizations. Federal prosecutors allege Al-Saadi served as a Kata’ib Hizballah commander.
However, his attorney, Andrew Dalack, informed the judge that his client was employed by the Iraqi government, though he did not elaborate on the specific role.
The defense attorney revealed Al-Saadi spent two weeks in an underground Turkish prison before being transferred to FBI custody.
“I’m sure it was unpleasant, to say the least,” the judge said.
Dalack explained Al-Saadi has been held in solitary confinement at a federal detention facility in Brooklyn but hopes to contact Iraqi diplomatic counsel and his mother and siblings, though he anticipates the U.S. government will severely restrict his communications.
When charges against Al-Saadi were announced last month, Dalack told reporters that his client believed he was being persecuted for his relationship with Qasem Soleimani, the Revolutionary Guard leader who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020.
The 18 European attacks Al-Saadi is charged with include the firebombing of a bank in Amsterdam and with stabbing Jewish men in London.
Federal authorities also stated in court documents that he attempted to attack a New York City synagogue last month and provided an undercover law enforcement officer with photos and maps of Jewish centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, that he planned to target.
Al-Saadi is also accused of involvement in two recent attacks in Canada: an attack on a synagogue and a shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto in March. U.S. prosecutors said he directed and urged other people to attack U.S. and Israeli interests, including by killing Americans and Jews.
Al-Saadi posted about the attacks on Snapchat and Telegram and spoke about them in phone calls recorded by an FBI informant whose help he solicited in planning attacks in the U.S., according to court papers.
