Pakistani-American man celebrates Eid after release from prison following vacation of terrorism conviction

Pakistani-American man celebrates Eid after release from prison following vacation of terrorism conviction

NEW YORK, Aug 13 (APP):Hamid Hayat, an American citizen of Pakistani descent who spent 14 years behind bars in a one of the most controversial terrorism cases of the post-Sept. 11 era, said Sunday he’s “still in shock” after his release from federal prison in Arizona, according to reports in US media.

Hayat, 35, a residents of Lodi in the US state of California, a farming town with a large Muslim population, was arrested in June 2005.

He was convicted to 24 years in 2007 after being accused of plotting an attack on the United States after attending a so-called training camp in Pakistan. But his conviction was overturned late last month and he was released on Friday.

“I cannot describe the sense of joy that I have felt to be reunited with my family after fourteen years of separation,” Hamid Hayat said. “I will never be able to fully express my deepest thanks to all the people who believed in my innocence and who worked for so long, so hard and in so many different ways to help me regain my freedom.”

APP Services