MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota man guilty of plotting to join the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is in custody again after violating his probation by watching a CNN documentary about ISIS at his halfway house.
As Alpha News previously reported, Abdullahi Yusuf was one of nine ISIS recruits on trial last November. Yusuf faced time already served and twenty years of supervised release for pleading guilty and cooperating with the government by testifying against the other members on trial.
Yusuf ended up receiving a sentence of time previously served and up to a year at a halfway house for plotting to fight for ISIS in 2014.
The Star Tribune reports part of Yusuf’s supervised release was agreeing that he not “possess, view, access, or use material that reflects extremist or terroristic views or as deemed to be inappropriate by the U.S. Probation Office.”
According to the Star Tribune, on Tuesday, Yusuf had a hearing to determine whether his supervised release should be revoked after he allegedly violated the terms of his probation by watching a CNN documentary on a Belgian ISIS soldier.
Yusuf failed his last polygraph test, then admitted he watched the terrorism documentary. Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Davis then ordered Yusuf’s arrest Friday.
After the hearing, Yusuf’s attorney, Manny Atwal, said CNN was always on the television at the halfway house Yusuf was staying at. Atwal did not understand how the documentary violated Yusuf’s probation terms or promoted extremist views.
Yusuf’s case is still pending a ruling, he will remain in custody until a verdict has been made.
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