Persecution of Journalist Syed Haider Karrar Zaidi
Pakistani-American Journalist Nayyar Zaidi Sentenced to 128 Months in Prison After a Jury Issued its Guilty Verdict Within 5 Minutes
SYED ADEEB
Syed Zaidi
(AdeebMedia.com Special Report) – Pakistani-American journalist Syed Haider Karrar Zaidi (pen-name: Nayyar Zaidi), 67, was convicted within five (5) minutes by a mysterious jury in January 2010 in the United States District Court (Ohio’s Northern District) of US District Judge Donald C. Nugent. “Syed Zaidi was sentenced to 128 months [10 years and 8 months] in prison in April [2010] after a jury convicted him of enticement and travel with intent to engage in sexually explicit conduct”, according to a press release of the US Department of Justice, dated 2 August 2010. Syed Zaidi (Register No. 55631-060) is now locked up at the US Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Loretto, Pennsylvania, USA. His actual or projected date of release from prison is 5 July 2017.
US citizen Syed Zaidi has written that he never committed any sex crime. He has also pointed out that he was cunningly framed, wrongly arrested on 20 March 2008 in Canton, Ohio, USA, by the US FBI or the Massillon Police (MPD), unjustly prosecuted during his unfair/unjust trial and maliciously persecuted in the kangaroo courts of America by the US injustice system, because he journalistically criticized the US foreign policies and its wars of terror, which have killed, injured, tortured, raped and harmed millions of innocent Pakistanis, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Lebanese, Arabs, Muslims and other humans in many oppressed nations of the world.
Journalist Syed Zaidi (Nayyar Zaidi) is the Washington Correspondent of The News International, daily Jang, Geo News TV, weekly Akhbar-e-Jehan and MAG the Weekly of Pakistan; former International Broadcaster of the Voice of America (VOA) Urdu Radio; and ex-commentator for CNN, BBC Urdu and PTV based in Woodbridge, Virginia, USA. He is married and he is the father of 5 children.
Jury in a Hurry
About the Syed Zaidi case, American journalist Michael K. McIntyre wrote:
Cleveland, Ohio, USA, January 23, 2010 (cleveland.com) – “It has to rank among the quickest verdicts ever for the U.S. District Court of Northern Ohio.”
“A jury on Thursday found Syed Haider Karrar Zaidi guilty of enticing a minor to have sex and traveling to meet her. It reached the verdicts in less than five minutes. That’s right. The jury picked a foreman, voted, signed the verdict sheets and pressed the button to summon Judge Donald Nugent in less time than it takes to get a coffee at Starbucks.”
“Perhaps Zaidi would have received a little more consideration had he not chosen to defend himself.”
“Prosecutors accused Zaidi of driving to Canton from Virginia intending to have sex with a mother and her 13-year-old daughter. The “mother”, who spoke with Zaidi in taped phone conversations, turned out to be a male undercover officer using a voice synthesizer to sound like a woman.”
“While Zaidi may have saved a few dollars by serving as his own lawyer, he may have gained a few years – in prison. When sentenced, Zaidi could get life, Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Skutnik said.”
Why did a male US FBI or police officer clandestinely change his voice and allegedly or reportedly talked to Syed Zaidi like a seductive female to target or trap the Pakistani-American journalist?
The USA v. Syed Zaidi case No. 10-3484 from the Northern District of Ohio at Akron (Judge Donald C. Nugent) is now pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and it was being briefed by the parties on 10 December 2010.
Nayyar Zaidi Wrote About His Case
Why did US Attorneys for the Northern District of Ohio Steven M. Dettelbach (current) and William J. Edwards (former) fail to issue a news release about the Syed Zaidi case? In the Facebook Group of his supporters created by the Pakistan Human Rights Network (PHRN) of Karachi, Nayyar Zaidi wrote: “Dear Friends: On September 22, 2009, I sent a letter to [US] Attorney General Eric H. Holder asking him to investigate my complaint. One effective way to support me is to write, fax and or E-mail him with Ref: ‘Trickledown Justice’ – The Case of Journalist Nayyar Zaidi. Be very respectful. Do not ask for my release. Ask for a formal investigation of US Attorney William J. Edwards and his Assistant [US Attorney] Michael A. Sullivan, and the interim bail for me so I can fight my case. Need your prayers.”
Syed Zaidi was reportedly arrested on 20 March 2008 at 3 PM in the parking lot of 4220 Belden Village Street, NW, Canton, Ohio 44718 by the Massillon Police (MPD) or the US FBI, booked at the Stark County Jail in Ohio and charged with four sex crimes (“2923.02A (F3) – ATTEMPTED/illegal use of a minor in sex performance. 2923.02A (F3) – ATTEMPTED/endangering children. 2923.02A (F4) – ATTEMPTED/unlawful sex with a minor. 2907.07D2 (F5) – importuning telecommunication device”). The exact location in Ohio, USA, and the time of his arrest are not mentioned in the following Online Case Docket of Zaidi.
In the same Facebook Group, a member of the Nayyar Zaidi family wrote to Muhammad Tariq Khan, an Administrator of the Group: “Dear Mr. Khan: Mr. [Syed] Zaidi is working on filing his motions. I want to thank you for your efforts. Please also note that NO MINOR [13-year-old girl] EVER MEET Mr. ZAIDI. It was a planned trap as it was a sting operation – only the agents were there. Also note that Mr. Zaidi never got out of his car. He had driven up in the parking lot, but when he saw that the mother he spoke to and who was going to meet him did not show up in the parking lot, he was driving out of the complex and the [US] FBI surrounded him. So he never got out of his car, nor did he meet anyone there. This should be clear and known to all. Mr. Zaidi is putting together his own case and representing himself in the court of law. He did ask your [Facebook Group] members to write to [US] Attorney General Eric Holder. Thank you once again and we will be in touch.”
Why did Journalist Syed Zaidi drive in his car from Woodbridge, Virginia to Canton, Ohio on 20 March 2008 where he was arrested? “Nayyar [Zaidi] has said that he went to Ohio as part of his research for a [news] story on parental predators of minors”, the late Pakistani-American journalist, Khalid Hasan, wrote in his Daily Times news report of 14 September 2008, headlined “The Strange Case of Nayyar Zaidi.” However, Zaidi should himself answer this key question with details in his next newspaper article.
Defense Lawyer Jeffrey Haupt Died
Who killed defense lawyer Jeffrey Haupt? Why did Jeffrey Haupt, the Attorney of Record in the Syed Zaidi case, suddenly die? On 21 January 2009, The Independent daily newspaper of Massillon, Ohio, reported: “Local attorney Haupt found dead. A prominent criminal defense attorney died unexpectedly Wednesday afternoon [on 21 January 2009] at his Jackson Township residence, according to police. Jeffrey Haupt, 54, was discovered unresponsive in the backyard of his residence shortly before 5 p.m., Jackson Police Chief Harley Neftzer said. “My understanding is some neighboring youths found him and went back to their home”, Neftzer said. Haupt was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:40 p.m., said Harry Campbell, Stark County Coroner’s Office investigator. There was no apparent trauma to Haupt’s body, he said. Haupt was dressed in business attire “not appropriate for the [very cold] weather” but other clothing was found nearby, Campbell said. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed today at the Coroner’s Office, according to Campbell. Over the years, Haupt has represented defendants in a number of high-profile criminal cases.”
Where is Real Legal Justice?
In his supporters’ Facebook Group, Nayyar Zaidi also wrote: “Dear Friends: It is so thrilling to see so many of you coming forward to support me where I had thought I was all alone. May Allah [God] protect all of you (Ameen).” Also READ his Facebook Group website: “Nayyar Zaidi is a Journalist NOT a Criminal – Support Nayyar Zaidi” – Where is the real legal justice for Pakistani-American journalist Syed Haider Karrar Zaidi (Nayyar Zaidi)?
REFERENCES:
1. Online Case Docket of Syed Zaidi – 2008 CRA 00614
4. Discussions About the Syed Zaidi Case
[Mr. Syed Adeeb - www.SyedAdeeb.net - is America's investigative journalist, Chief Editor of the Information Press - (InformPress.com - AdeebMedia.com - AdeebPress.com) - Director of the Human Rights Justice Forum - HRJF.net - and Coordinator of the Journalists Scholars Forum (JSF) based in Virginia, USA. - Sunday, 12 December 2010]
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