Al Shabaab
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The sentencing of a Kenyan man convicted on terrorism charges, including plotting an attack reminiscent of 9/11, was delayed in a US federal court in Manhattan on Monday.
Judge Analisa Torres has granted the defendant's request for new legal representation, postponing the sentencing to April 7, 2025. The defendant, who was convicted late last year on six charges, including conspiring to support a foreign terrorist organization, stated during the hearing that he wanted to "start fresh" with new lawyers, expressing dissatisfaction with his current court-appointed counsel. Following a private discussion with the defendant, Judge Torres approved the request.
“I was thinking of having new lawyers who will represent me. I don't want these two lawyers to represent me. I want to start fresh,” said the accused.
Prosecutors emphasized the gravity of the defendant's crimes, urging the court to impose the maximum penalty, citing his specialized pilot training allegedly funded by al-Shabaab. A prosecutor argued that "the defendant's terrorism crimes, combined with his specialized pilot skills... underscore that he poses a real and ongoing threat to innocent lives," further labelling him “a highly trained terrorist.” They highlighted his potential to hijack an aircraft for terrorist purposes.
"The defendant's terrorism crimes, combined with his specialised, al-Shabaab-financed pilot skills, which he will have for the rest of his life, underscore that he poses a real and ongoing threat to innocent lives,” noted a prosecutor.
The case began in 2019 with allegations that the defendant was involved in a plot to hijack a commercial aeroplane and carry out a catastrophic attack on the US soil on behalf of al-Shabaab, a militant group responsible for numerous deadly attacks in East Africa.