PHOENIX – An alleged leader of a group of Al-Qaeda terrorists, Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri, appeared in federal court on Friday in connection with proceedings to extradite him to Iraq. Al-Nouri is wanted to stand trial in Iraq for two charges of premeditated murder committed in 2006 in Al-Fallujah.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John Z. Boyle issued the warrant on January 29, 2020, and Ahmed was arrested the following day.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), an Iraqi judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of Al-Nouri, a Phoenix resident, on murder charges. As a result, the Iraqi government requested Al-Nouri’s extradition from the United States.
The DOJ filed a complaint in Phoenix seeking a warrant for Ahmed’s arrest based on the extradition request, in accordance with its treaty obligations to Iraq.
In its extradition request, the Government of Iraq alleges that Ahmed served as the leader of a group of Al-Qaeda terrorists in Al-Fallujah, Iraq, which planned operations targeting Iraqi police. Ahmed and other members of the Al-Qaeda group allegedly shot and killed a first lieutenant in the Fallujah Police Directorate and a police officer in the Fallujah Police Directorate, on or about June 1, 2006, and October 3, 2006, respectively.
If Ahmed’s extradition is certified by the court, the decision of whether to surrender him to Iraq will be made by the U.S. Secretary of State, according to the DOJ.