A detention hearing for a Chicago-area man accused of trying to join the Islamic State group has been postponed by a federal judge until Oct. 21.
Mohammed Hamzah Khan, 19, of Bolingbrook, Illinois, was arrested Saturday at O’Hare International Airport for allegedly trying to fly to the Middle East and join the Islamic State.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Cox’s decision came after the prosecution argued that proceedings should not be open to the public, Reuters reported Thursday. Judge Cox said the delay was related to minors who were somehow connected to the case.
Thomas Durkin, Mr. Khan’s attorney, gave a different reading of the prosecution’s request, telling reporters that the government did not want its intelligence-gathering activities revealed to the public, the wire service reported.
Federal prosecutors charge that Mr. Khan planned to travel to Turkey, where contacts in country would then take him to the next stage of the Islamic State group recruitment process. A search of the suspect’s home allegedly revealed a notebook filled with his plans, Reuters reported.
Mr. Khan said his client is “someone who takes his faith very, very seriously,” Reuters reported.
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• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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