Khan v. United States of America

Khan v. United States of America | HISTORIC WIN! I

Irfan Khan was arrested and indicted for Material Support of Terrorism in May of 2011. He spent more than 317 days in solitary confinement while his wife and children were sleeping on floors as they were forced out of their apartment due to the false allegations of terrorism against Mr. Khan. After almost 11 months in custody, the government released Mr. Khan and dropped the charges – with no explanation or apology. In 2015, MLFA’s Criminal Defense Department partnered
with Morgan & Morgan, the largest plaintiff’s law firm in the country, to sue the government for malicious prosecution.

Verdict/Ruling: After a twelve-year fight over classified discovery and continuous obstruction by the government, in February of 2024, this case finally went to trial before Chief Judge Altonaga in Miami, Florida who found that the government lacked probable cause in all stages of the prosecution of Mr. Khan, and that the actions of the F.B.I. agents constituted legal malice.

HISTORIC WIN! In August 2024, Irfan Khan won his lawsuit against the FBI for malicious prosecution. In September 2024, Chief Judge Altonaga awarded Mr. Khan over 6 million dollars in damages—one of the largest judgments awarded in such a case.

IMPACT

This is the first time in more than 20 years since 9/11 that the government has been held civilly liable for their actions in prosecuting American Muslims. The ruling in Khan sends a strong message to the United States’s government that they can no longer “shoot first and ask questions later” when it comes to the accusations of
terrorism related to American Muslims.