Mohammad Hassan Hamdan of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was arrested on March16, 2014, at Detroit Metro Airport by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents who claim that Hamdan told an undercover informant of his plans to travel to Lebanon to join Hezbollah as a fighter supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Hamdan’s family and defence attorney note that the informant is a friend of Hamdan’s ex-girlfriend, and that he is receiving an immigration benefit for his services, two facts that should make the information he provides suspect. The US Government classifies Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation, so appearing before US Magistrate R. Steven Whalen at the District Court in Detroit on March 17, 2014, Hamdan was charged with “attempting to provide material support (money, goods, or services) to a foreign terrorist organisation,” a charge that can result in up to 15 years in prison and a $2,50,000 fine.