A federal indictment unsealed Thursday accuses an Oregon man of advocating violent jihad in an online Arabic newspaper in support of the terrorist organization ISIS.
Hawazen Sameer Mothafar, 31, of Troutdale was arrested Thursday morning, federal authorities said.
Mothafar pleaded not guilty to a five-count indictment that charges him with conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, making false statements on an immigration application and making a false statement to a government agency.
Al Dura’a al Sunni, also known as Sunni Shield, is a pro-ISIS, internet-based media organization that published Al-Anfal newspaper and disseminates pro-ISIS information, including written and video content, as well as infographics, according to the indictment.
Mothafar is accused of editing, producing and distributing ISIS propaganda and recruiting material from February 2015 through Nov. 5 of this year in coordination with ISIS media operatives overseas.
Among the articles prosecutors say he produced and distributed was one titled “Effective Stabbing Techniques” in a Nov. 29, 2017, issue of Al-Anfal newspaper, which described how to “best kill and maim in a knife attack,” according to the indictment.
Another tutorial he published in Al-Anfal on Dec. 20, 2017, was called “How Does a Detonator Work” and explained the use of explosive ignition devices, according to the indictment.
That same issue of Al-Anfal contained an infographic depicting the Eiffel Tower and Statute of Liberty on fire with a caption that read, partially in Arabic and in English, “Soon in the Heart of Your Lands," the indictment said.
Other propaganda encouraged readers to carry out attacks in their home countries if they couldn’t travel overseas where ISIS was fighting, the indictment said.
On Nov. 2, 2018, Mothafar is alleged to have shared 70 images of explosives and western cities with Sunni Shield members, telling them, “The images of destroyed infidel cities will be useful,” the indictment said.
He’s also accused of providing technical support to ISIS officials overseas, including help with opening social media and email accounts for official use and moderating private chat rooms and channels dedicated to supporting ISIS through the Sunni Shield Foundation. One social media channel he moderated was called “Designers Workshop - Sunni Shield,” according to prosecutors.
A senior ISIS official in custody in Iraq told investigators that it was Mothafar’s job to provide ISIS “new accounts when we needed new accounts as soon as possible,” the indictment said.
Mothafar pledged allegiance to ISIS in February 2019, according to the indictment, but had been a supporter since 2014. He edited, produced and disseminated 32 issues of the Al-Anfal newspaper between November 2017 and March 2019, the government alleges.
He’s also accused of making false statements on an immigration application in October 2018 and again to federal immigration officials on Aug. 24, when he denied being associated with any foreign terrorist organization.
An Arabic interpreter translated Thursday’s brief court proceeding through a phone hookup with Mothafar, who appeared via video from a U.S. Marshals Service lockup. Mothafar is disabled and uses a wheelchair.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Knight notified the court that the government intends to use evidence that the FBI obtained through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA, which allows surveillance of people suspected of acting as agents of foreign governments.
“This defendant is a legal permanent resident of the United States who abandoned the country that took him in and instead pledged allegiance to ISIS and repeatedly and diligently promoted its violent objectives,” Oregon’s U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said in a statement. “Our national security prosecutors and law enforcement partners will continue to ensure that those who threaten our country are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Oregon’s FBI Special Agent in Charge Renn Cannon said that Mothafar’s alleged online propaganda aims to incite “lone actor" operators in the United States and around the world. “When it comes to cases like this one, a computer and a keyboard can be powerful weapons against enemies of the Islamic State," Cannon said.
Mothafar was released to his home pending trial, with restrictions on his travel and use of electronic devices. A 20-day trial was tentatively set for Jan. 20 before U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez.
-- Maxine Bernstein
Email at [email protected]; 503-221-8212
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