Man accused of plot to attack New York Jewish center will contest extradition, lawyer says

By Anna Mehler Paperny

TORONTO (Reuters) - A Pakistani man accused of plotting to attack a New York City Jewish center in support of Islamic State will contest his extradition hearing to the United States, his lawyer told Reuters.

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested in Canada earlier this month as he allegedly tried to enter the U.S. He was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely Islamic State, or ISIS.

The United States wants to extradite him.

"I have the mandate to contest the extradition hearing," Khan's lawyer, Gaetan Bourassa, told Reuters.

"He is a young person, arrested, and we will see what is their proof to ask to be extradited."

He would not comment on the case without seeing evidence from the U.S., which has not yet been presented.

Khan was in Canada on a student visa, having entered the country in June, 2023. His lawyer would not say what he was studying, or where.

The U.S. Department of Justice accused Khan of plotting a mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn around Oct. 7, 2024, about a year after Hamas' attack in Israel which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Khan began posting his support for ISIS on an encrypted messaging application in November 2023. He allegedly communicated his attack plans to undercover agents.

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Stephen Coates)