U.S. denies foreign detention of citizen

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. government denied Tuesday it is complicit in the Saudi Arabian detention of U.S. citizen and terror suspect Ahmed Abu Ali.

"Abu Ali is in Saudi custody in Saudi Arabia," Department of Justice Trial Attorney Ori Lev said during the first hearing on the case. "The United States does not control Saudi Arabia."

Abu Ali's family says, however, Saudi authorities told them they would release Abu Ali to the United States if the U.S. government asked them to do so.

The family further claims an FBI raid on their Virginia home and other U.S. actions indicate strongly that U.S. authorities are involved in the detention of Abu Ali.

"Every development we have seen suggests this is a U.S. case and U.S. prosecution," Morton Sklar, the family's attorney and executive director of the World Organization for Human Rights USA, said.

Tuesday's hearing came in response to Sklar's request for a preliminary injunction to keep the United States from pressing Saudi Arabia to file its own charges against Abu Ali before his U.S. case can come to trial.