U.S. federal prosecutors said the court hearings for Muhammad Salah in March will be subject to special security arrangements.
“Nadav” and “Haim” will testify in the trial following claims by the defendant that he had been tortured by Israeli interrogators in 1993, prior to his extradition to the United States.
The prosecution will argue that the defendant had not been tortured by Israeli authorities, and therefore his testimony is acceptable under U.S. law.
“He was not tortured and his claims are untrue,” Israel’s Consul General in Chicago Baruch Bina said. “It is known that people accused of terror activities say they have been tortured.”
Salah was arrested 12 years ago upon his arrival at Ben-Gurion International Airport. Authorities found USD 100, 000 in his suitcase which he admitted was destined to Hamas activists in the territories. Salah admitted he served as a financier for the terror group, transferring funds from London and the United States.
He was sentenced and served a five-year term before being released and deported to the United States in 1998.
Salah sued by family of terror victim
Salah's activities have been linked to the "Holy Land Foundation" established by Abu Marzouk in order to raise money for Hamas. This was the largest foundation of its kind in the U.S., which funneled USD 12.4 million to the organization in the years 1995-2001.
In July 2004, the Justice Department issued a severe indictment against the foundation, and ordered to freeze its assets. A month later the government filed a lawsuit against Moussa Abu Marzouk, despite the fact he was not staying in the country at the time.
The indictment included Salah and Abed Ashkar, charging them with running a network to channel millions of dollars from the U.S. to Hamas members.
While Salah was in custody, a lawsuit was filed against him and the Islamic Palestinian organizations he had worked for by the family of 17-year-old David Boim who was killed in a Hamas terror attack in Jerusalem.
The Boims sued Salah and the other organizations for their responsibility for the murder, after they had provided Hamas with funds and arms that enabled the attack.
This civil action resulted in a court ordering Salah and the groups to pay USD 156 million in compensations to the Boim family.