The Man Who Refused to Plead Guilty (Paperback)

Uzair S. Paracha

ISBN 10: 0745351964 / ISBN 13: 9780745351964

Published by Pluto Press, London, 2026

About this Item

Paperback. 'A remarkable story' - Arun Kundnani, author of The Muslims are Coming!In 2003, 23-year-old Uzair Paracha was arrested by the US government and branded a terrorist. A Pakistani man living in New York, he was accused of providing 'material support' to al-Qaeda - a vague, catch-all charge invented in the chaotic aftermath of 9/11. He was offered a plea deal but refused, knowing he was innocent.What followed was a nightmare: years in solitary confinement, a trial built on fear instead of facts, and a justice system determined to make an example of someone who they thought looked the part. Uzairs case wasnt an anomaly: it was the blueprint.The Man Who Refused to Plead Guilty is more than one mans story: its a stark reflection of the path the US chose after 9/11. A path that reached for demonisation before understanding, punishment before truth. Uzair Parachas experience lays bare the human cost of a vengeful nation, how a heart filled with principle can find some small semblance of justice. The gripping story of a young man wrongly accused of terrorism after September 11 Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780745351964

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Man Who Refused to Plead Guilty (Paperback)
• Publisher: Pluto Press, London
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0745351964
• ISBN 13: 9780745351964
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

'A remarkable story' - Arun Kundnani, author of The Muslims are Coming!

In 2003, 23-year-old Uzair Paracha was arrested by the US government and branded a terrorist. A Pakistani man living in New York, he was accused of providing 'material support' to al-Qaeda - a vague, catch-all charge invented in the chaotic aftermath of 9/11. He was offered a plea deal but refused, knowing he was innocent.

What followed was a nightmare: years in solitary confinement, a trial built on fear instead of facts, and a justice system determined to make an example of someone who they thought looked the part. Uzair’s case wasn’t an anomaly: it was the blueprint.

The Man Who Refused to Plead Guilty is more than one man’s story: it’s a stark reflection of the path the US chose after 9/11. A path that reached for demonisation before understanding, punishment before truth. Uzair Paracha’s experience lays bare the human cost of a vengeful nation, how a heart filled with principle can find some small semblance of justice.

About the Author

Uzair S. Paracha is a Pakistani national who was arrested in New York on terrorism charges and wrongly imprisoned in the US for 17 years. He used his time in prison to teach and help fellow prisoners with self-education, reading and reflection, and other life skills, preparing them for a life outside of prison. He is now back home in Pakistan, attempting to mend the fragments of a life once undone. Denise LeBoeuf is a retired capital defence attorney based in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the Director of the American Civil Liberties Union's John Adams Project, assisting the capitally charged detainees on Guantanamo in the military commissions, and was formerly the Director of the ACLU's Capital Punishment Project, and the Director of the Louisiana Capital Post-Conviction Project of Louisiana. Asim Qureshi is Research Director at CAGE, an independent advocacy group working to empower communities impacted by the War On Terror. He specialises in investigating the impact of counterterrorism practices worldwide, and advises legal teams involved in defending terrorism trials in the US and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He is the author of When Only God Can See.