Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to reject a request by a man accused of aiding terrorists to be released in Gwinnett County.
Asif Ahmed Salim has asked a federal judge in Ohio to release him on bond to the custody of his family in Gwinnett while he awaits trial on three terrorism-related charges. A hearing on his request is set for May 4.
But in a court document filed last week, prosecutors asked the judge to reject Salim’s request without a hearing. The judge has already denied Salim’s request to be released once, and prosecutors said the suspect has not submitted any new evidence that should make the judge change his mind.
Last September prosecutors accused Salim, 35, and three others of raising money for Anwar al-Awlaki, an al-Qaida leader who died in a drone strike in Yemen in 2011.
In November Salim pleaded not guilty to providing material support to terrorists and other charges. In January, U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary denied Salim’s request to be released on bond to his wife and her family in Duluth.
But earlier this month Salim again requested to be released to his family in Duluth. Among other things, he said his wife’s sister – an assistant Gwinnett County district attorney – would also act as custodian.
A former federal prosecutor recently told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution it's highly unlikely the judge will grant Salim's request, given the nature of the charges against him.
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