Illinois militia leader loses appeal in Minnesota mosque bombing conviction

A federal appeals court on Wednesday affirmed the conviction of the leader of an Illinois antigovernment militia who was sentenced to 53 years in prison for masterminding the 2017 bombing of a Minnesota mosque, an attack that terrified the local Muslim community.

A three-judge panel rejected all the legal arguments raised by Emily Claire Hari. Her attorneys argued that the key federal law involved — which pertains to damaging religious property and the free exercise of religion — was invalid because it exceeded Congress’ authority.

The court also rejected Hari’s claim that prosecutors violated attorney-client privilege when authorities seized two pages of notes from Hari’s cell during a shakedown.

No one was hurt in the bombing of the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center, but more than a dozen members of the mosque community gave victim impact statements about the trauma they felt. Judge Donovan Frank said at sentencing that the evidence clearly showed an intent to “scare, intimidate and terrorize individuals of Muslim faith.”

Read more: AP