Pakistani Suspect Pleads Innocent in British and US Terror Plots

Posted January 7th, 2013 at 4:50 pm (UTC-5)
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A Pakistani man pled not guilty Monday in an alleged al-Qaida plot to set off terrorist bombs in New York and Manchester, England.

Abid Naseer entered his plea in a U.S. federal court in Brooklyn, New York — where he was extradited from Britain last week. The judge ordered him to remain in jail at least until his next scheduled court appearance in March.

The European Court of Human Rights rejected Naseer's appeal against extradition to the United States. Naseer argued that he could wind up back in Pakistan, where he says he would be tortured.

Naseer is charged in separate plots to set off bombs in Manchester and in the New York City subway at the height of rush hour to maximize casualties.

A co-defendant, Adis Medunjanin, is already spending life in prison for his role. Naseer faces the same sentence if he is also convicted.