Innocence of Muslims Filmmaker Nakoula Arrested in U.S.
By Joel Rosenblatt on September 28, 2012 Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Google Plus 1 Comment
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, who made the trailer for the film Innocence of Muslims that sparked violent outbreaks in some Muslim countries, is being held without bond after being arrested for violating the terms of his supervised release.
Nakoula appeared at a hearing yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Suzanne Segal in Los Angeles. Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys office in Los Angeles, said Nakoula was arrested yesterday in Los Angeles and detained after the hearing.
The 14-minute trailer shows a fictional attack by Muslims on a Christian family, followed by an account of the origins of Islam depicting the prophet Muhammad as a womanizer. Google Inc. (GOOG)s YouTube blocked access to the clip in Egypt and Libya following attacks on the U.S. missions in those countries. The U.S. ambassador to Libya and three embassy employees were killed Sept. 11.
Jack Whitaker, a lawyer for Nakoula, declined to comment on yesterdays arrest.
Nakoula, 55, has a criminal history that includes bank fraud by using false identities and a drug conviction. He was questioned this month by U.S. authorities investigating whether he violated terms of his parole.
Under the terms of his release, Nakoula was prohibited from representing himself with anything other than his true legal name, and is barred from using the Internet without permission from his probation officer.
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