Haroon Yenor trial
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United States v. Haroon Yenor was a federal terrorism prosecution in which John Kiriakou testified as a defense expert witness. Yenor had been arrested in November 2024 in connection with an alleged plot to blow up the New York Stock Exchange and a synagogue; he was acquitted on all six charges on June 30.

Cross-examination and redirect

Under cross-examination, the prosecuting assistant U.S. attorney asked Kiriakou, "At the end of the day, Mr. Kiriakou, you really are just a convicted criminal, aren't you?" Kiriakou, citing the judge's rule against rhetorical questions, offered no direct answer; the prosecutor had no further questions.

On redirect, the federal public defender walked Kiriakou through the government's own role in the alleged plot: the idea to bomb the New York Stock Exchange, and separately a synagogue, had been the FBI's; the FBI had built the bomb, provided the explosives, the timer, the detonation cord, and the getaway car. Asked for his expert opinion on who the criminal in the case was, Kiriakou answered, "The FBI is the criminal in this case."

Acquittal and press coverage

Yenor was acquitted on all six charges on June 30. His November 2024 arrest had drawn banner national coverage, including a comparison to Osama bin Laden in USA Today and coverage in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal; his acquittal went unreported by comparison, a discrepancy Kiriakou noted without further comment beyond observing that it "says a lot about our government."

See also

- John Kiriakou
- Enhanced interrogation techniques
