Sketches of Izhar Khan and and his father Hafiz Khan in federal court following their arrest on charges of conspiracy and providing material support to Pakistani Taliban. (CBS4)
MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – Attorneys for a Miami Muslim cleric accused of orchestrating financial support for the Taliban in Pakistan have filed documents this week seeking the dismissal of all charges.
Lawyers for Hafiz Khan, 76, claim some of the charges violate his First Amendment free speech rights. Other claims are that no crime had yet been committed when Khan was arrested in May and that some counts are vague and too broad.
Khan, an imam at a Miami mosque, his 24-year old son Izhar who is a cleric at a Margate mosque and another son Irfan are accused of wiring at least $50,000 to the Pakistani Taliban. Three other people, including a daughter and grandson of the elder Khan who are in Pakistan, have also been charged.
Khan and his two sons face four terrorism support charges that each carry potential 15-year prison sentences. They have pleaded not guilty.
The U.S. attorney’s office has not yet responded to Khan’s dismissal motions.
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