The conviction of Lebanese-born Ali Kourani, 37, who was arrested on terrorism charges in 2019, has been upheld in an appeals court in the United States.
Kourani was accused of being a sleeper agent for Hezbollah and charged for seeking targets for potential terrorist attacks in New York City on behalf of the militia’s Islamic Jihad Organization.
In 2017, he made a confession to the FBI. He told agents that the plan was for him to become a suicide bomber.
With his confession, Kourani was hoping for leniency but was instead charged with 8 counts related to terrorism and, in 2019, was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
While judges appealed the sentence, saying it was “disproportionately high” as no one was harmed, the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan rejected the appeal.
