--- title: Dutch Supreme Court Blocks Extradition of Al Qaeda Suspect To U.S. description: The U.S. wanted to put Sabir Khan on trial in New York for supporting terrorist attacks against Americans in Afghanistan canonical: https://time.com/2976759/al-qaeda-extradition-netherlands/ author: Massimo Calabresi article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-07-11T16:42:14.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T09:06:04.150Z article:section: Politics og:title: Dutch Supreme Court Blocks Extradition of Al Qaeda Suspect og:description: The U.S. wanted to put Sabir Khan on trial in New York for supporting terrorist attacks against Americans in Afghanistan. og:url: https://time.com/2976759/al-qaeda-extradition-netherlands/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc48704aa1d3b37e3/69869b6fcd68480309095a00/sabir-khan-netherlands-dutch-terrorist.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4516 og:image:height: 2540 og:image:alt: NETHERLANDS-PAKISTAN-USA-JUSTICE og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Dutch Supreme Court Blocks Extradition of Al Qaeda Suspect twitter:description: The U.S. wanted to put Sabir Khan on trial in New York for supporting terrorist attacks against Americans in Afghanistan. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc48704aa1d3b37e3/69869b6fcd68480309095a00/sabir-khan-netherlands-dutch-terrorist.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Dutch Supreme Court Blocks Extradition of Al-Qaeda Suspect to U.S. > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=9477aa3d-ce57-4260-9341-7404e78c260d&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1)  by [Massimo Calabresi](https://time.com/author/massimo-calabresi/)  ## Massimo Calabresi Calabresi is TIME’s Washington bureau chief. Jul 11, 2014 4:42 PM UTC  The lawyer of Dutch-Pakistani national Sabir Khan, Andre Seebregts (L), arrives in the courtroom of The Hague, on February 12, 2013. The lawyer of Dutch-Pakistani national Sabir Khan, Andre Seebregts (L), arrives in the courtroom of The Hague, on February 12, 2013. Robin Utrecht—AFP/Getty Images  by [Massimo Calabresi](https://time.com/author/massimo-calabresi/)  ## Massimo Calabresi Calabresi is TIME’s Washington bureau chief. Jul 11, 2014 4:42 PM UTC In a setback for the Obama administration’s use of law enforcement to fight al-Qaeda, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands on Friday blocked the extradition to the U.S. of Sabir Ali Khan, a Dutch-Pakistani man wanted in New York for conspiracy to commit murder and support of al-Qaeda. The U.S. believes Khan was involved in Taliban and al-Qaeda attacks against Americans in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province in 2010, according to U.S. court documents [obtained](http://time.com/2858/the-twilight-war/) by TIME. Khan was arrested by Pakistani forces in Sept. 2010, allegedly at the request of the U.S., and held at a secret prison where he says he was tortured. Khan, whose mother was Dutch, has citizenship in the Netherlands and was eventually released to Dutch authorities and flown to Holland, where he was arrested. His Dutch lawyer argued that the government should determine whether Khan was arrested at the U.S. behest, and whether he would face a threat of further torture if he were extradited. The Dutch Supreme Court Friday ruled that the extradition could not proceed because the Dutch Government had declined to look into the alleged U.S. role in Khan’s arrest. The Court, which did not address the threat of torture by the U.S., concluded “the Dutch State should have done some research in this matter,” says Dutch Supreme Court Spokeperson Mireille Beentjes. In blocking the extradition, the court stressed “the large interest of combatting torture worldwide,” Beentjes said, quoting from the court’s opinion. Robert Nardoza, spokesman for the Eastern District of New York, where Khan was indicted on five counts in 2010, said, “We’re going to review the ruling by the Dutch Supreme Court and consider our options.” Khan, who is in his late 20s, declined to comment when reached by telephone Friday. He remains free and living in the Netherlands. In January, he [told](http://time.com/2858/the-twilight-war/) TIME that while he suspects he is under constant surveillance, “Officially I have no restrictions on me.” The case shows how the U.S. must increasingly rely on other states’ legal systems in countering terrorism as Washington attempts to wind down extraordinary powers granted to the president after 9/11\. 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