Uzbek refugee Jamshid Muhtorov won’t be released on bond, a federal magistrate judge ruled this afternoon, citing concerns he might leave the country and poses a danger to the community.
“I have a grave concern that, rather than go to jail in the United States, defendant is at risk of choosing an alternative that would present a risk to other persons of the community,” wrote U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Hegarty.
The ruling comes a day after assistant U.S. attorney Greg Holloway told the court Muhtorov admitted he knew the Islamic Jihad Union was a combat organization that fights NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Muhtorov, a 35-year-old Aurora resident, is charged with providing material support to the IJU, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
On Jan. 21, Muhtorov was arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on his way to Istanbul, Turkey after agents tracked his emails and phone calls for months after he made contact with the administrator of a pro-IJU website.
The FBI found about $2,800 in cash, two shrink-wrapped iPhones, an iPad and a GPS device with him upon his arrest.
During an hour and a half interview with agents, Muhtorov denied he was involved in terrorism.
Prosecutors say they have a witness who claims Muhtorov became radicalized in the U.S. and had an allegiance to global jihad, praising the teachings of Osama bin Laden and cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.
Muhtorov’s defense lawyers tried to get an FBI agent to testify about the identity of the witness, but the information is classified.
Prosecutors have not said whether a specific terrorist act or plan was underway involving Muhtorov. They have only confirmed no attack was planned on U.S. soil.
In 2005, the IJU was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State and conducted attacks on coalition forces overseas and has links to al-Qaeda.
But the IJU is also a group that fought the dictator of Muhtorov’s home country of Uzbekistan where his sister remains jailed on a trumped up murder charge and where he was subjected to political persecution. Muhtorov’s brother also left the country in 2009 as a refugee and is living in Kazakhstan.
Muhtorov’s defense lawyer says he only intended to travel to visit members of his extended family throughout Asia.
Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com
