Iranian 'terror mastermind' wants to represent himself in US trial

Mohammad Al Saadi has not been idle as he sits in New York’s Metropolitan Detention Centre awaiting his trial on charges of orchestrating attacks on Jewish and Iranian opposition targets in Europe and the US.

The latest move from Mr Al Saadi has been to express a desire to dismiss his lawyers and represent himself in his case, which could lead to a life sentence if he is convicted, after being arrested in Turkey and brought to the US.

The 32 year old is alleged to be behind Harakat Ashab Al Yamin Al Islamia, also known as Ashab Al Yamin, which translates as the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right Hand. US records show he was born in Tehran and was a dual Iranian and Iraqi citizen but has lived most of his life in Iraq.

Mr Al Saadi has already been restricted to making one phone call a month over fears he is plotting a terrorist attack from behind bars.

The US Justice Department says he has been using coded messages in telephone calls from prison to his family, to push others into carrying out new plots, to direct $1 million in money transfers and to oversee the release of propaganda videos.

Show caption: Mohammad Al Saadi. Reuters

In a letter to Judge Colleen McMahon, his defence lawyers say they are seeking “a conference to address Mr Al Saadi’s desire to represent himself”.

Close monitoring

They say the Special Administrative Measures that have been imposed on him as a result of his alleged activities have "strained the attorney-client relationship”.

The lawyers say that since the FBI has been monitoring his mail, he hasn't been getting any reading material for the past month.

Show caption: Mohammad Al Saadi told US investigators about his close rela…

The lawyers said their “inability to account for or explain this delay to our client compounds Mr Al Saadi’s social isolation, leading him to believe that he may as well represent himself”.

Mr Al Saadi faces eight charges of orchestrating nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks throughout Europe and the US.

He is also accused of attempting to carry out an attack on a synagogue in New York City and trying to find someone in the US willing to kill or injure people.

US rights

Mr Al Saadi’s apparent determination to do things differently was first signalled when he waived his Miranda rights after being detained. These are US constitutional protections that law enforcement must tell a suspect in custody about before questioning, and they include the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney.

Mr Al Saadi identified himself as a leader of “the resistance”, which he explained encompasses Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its proxies, including Kataib Hezbollah, Hezbollah, and Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Investigators began looking at Mr Al Saadi’s social media accounts and found FaceTime calls he had with attackers, including some who carried out a firebombing of a London synagogue on April 18.

Images show him standing in front of a large screen watching a livestream of the attack, as another man gives the attackers detailed instructions in English on how to carry out the firebombing.

Show caption: Mohammad Al Saadi's phone had a videos of two men dressed in…

London's Met Police say the Kenton United Synagogue was attacked on the same day.

His phone also showed that Mr Al Saadi had received videos of two men dressed in hazmat suits, with the Ashab Al Yamin logo taped to each suit, and a drone that appeared to have two vials of white powder attached to it.

Viral commander

The content of these videos tallies with a propaganda video posted on Telegram around April 16 by Ashab Al Yamin, in which the group claimed that its members had attacked the Israeli embassy in London using drones loaded with dangerous, carcinogenic and radioactive materials.

Mr Al Saadi’s phone also contained evidence of his long-standing role supporting the IRGC, Kataib Hezbollah and Hezbollah.

He was pictured standing in front of an array of machineguns in a conference room which he said in his post-arrest interview was located in a building that at the time was used for “military intelligence” for “the resistance”.

Show caption: Mohammad Al Saadi pictured with a collection of guns. Photo:…

The room has a map on the wall of what appears to be the United States, accompanied by a list of “legitimate targets” identifying a number of prominent former and current US officials.

Mr Al Saadi told investigators he was “like a son” to Qassem Suleimani, the long-time commander of the IRGC Quds Force, and is “very close” with the IRGC leadership.

Close ties

According to Mr Al Saadi, he constantly travelled with his mentor and was supposed to be driving Soleimani to meet Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis, then the leader of Kataib Hezbollah, the day they were killed in a US air strike.

Show caption: Mohammad Al Saadi meeting Qassem Soleimani and Akram ‘Abbas …

Mr Al Saadi claimed he was also close to Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and met him in Iran three days before the current war with the US began.

On his phone was found a video of Mr Al Saadi meeting with Mr Suleimani and Akram ‘Abbas Al Kabi, the secretary general of Harakat Al Nujaba, otherwise known as the 12th Brigade of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces.

The room’s walls are plastered with maps of Aleppo province in northern Syria and various pieces of electronic equipment can be seen.

Meanwhile, the US Justice Department says the “defendant presents a serious risk to public safety, including by harming others and inspiring future terrorist attacks” if he were to have “unfettered communications with third parties”.

“The defendant has a long and documented history of communicating with others about terrorist attacks,” said the department.