MANHATTAN — Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi appeared in a Manhattan federal court on Monday wearing beige prison overalls and shackles. He pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related offenses during the hearing.
Al-Saadi, who is 32 years old, stated to the judge and prosecutors, "I'm a prisoner of war. I'm not a threat." He also told the court, "Children and women are being killed by your rockets." Al-Saadi faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted.
The charges against al-Saadi stem from a series of 18 attacks targeting Jewish schools and places of worship across Europe between early March and late April. These attacks resulted in no fatalities. Messages directing networks in Europe to conduct operations were posted on Telegram and Snapchat seven days after a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran began.
Two days after the messages were posted, an explosive device detonated outside a synagogue in Liège, Belgium. Additional incidents included an explosive device detonation outside a synagogue in Rotterdam and another at a Jewish school in Amsterdam. An explosive device also targeted a Bank of New York Mellon branch in Amsterdam. On March 23, three individuals set fire to four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity in north London. Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia claimed responsibility for multiple attacks shortly after their occurrence.
Court documents identify al-Saadi as the sole operator behind Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, directing activities from an office in Baghdad. Investigators state al-Saadi was recruited in his early twenties into a Shia militia established by Iran and was deployed to Syria alongside Shia militia forces. He also participated in military operations against Islamic State forces in Iraq. Social media posts link al-Saadi to assassination, abduction, and weapon distribution activities.
Qassem Soleimani, founder of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, served as a mentor to al-Saadi. Al-Saadi was present when a U.S. drone strike killed Soleimani in Iraq in 2020. Al-Saadi managed a network of Telegram channels that distributed content supporting Iran-aligned Shia militia. He also met with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran in late January.
Passport stamps confirm al-Saadi traveled to Spain in August 2023 using an Iraqi government service passport. He received a 12-month Italian visa in 2023 that was later revoked. Photographs also place al-Saadi at an Iranian government exhibition at an arms fair in Moscow. A legal source with knowledge of the U.S. investigation said, "He was definitely known in Europe. If the FBI had enough info to get him, then others did too."