UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V. ARMIN HARCEVIC

Armin a Bosnian refugee built a successful contracting business in the US. In 2014, he learned a fellow Bosnian who went to his Mosque in St. Louis, Mr. Paraza, had traveled to Syria to fight against Bashar al-Assad in the early stages of the Syrian Civil War.

Inspired by the foreign fighters who had protected his family after they were displaced, Mr. Harcevic sent $1,500 to Mr. Paraza. In 2015, Mr. Harcevic, along with six other Bosnian refugees who had also provided financial aid, were charged with Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Material Support of murder and maiming abroad.

IMPACT

Equally important, the Justice Department subsequently decided not to charge thousands of others who had likewise contributed to the Free Syrian Army or other non-designated groups fighting in Syria. For MLFA, the case was the beginning of working with the Federal Public Defender’s Office, thereby increasing the impact of our work across the country.