Militia leaders convicted of masterminding a Minnesota mosque bombing are asking a judge to legally acknowledge his transgender identity.
Emily Claire Hari formerly known as Michael Hari was found guilty of civil rights and hate crime charges related to the August 2017 bombing of the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington last year.
During the trial, prosecutors said Hari was fueled by hatred of Muslims when he planned to plant pipe bombs in the building during morning prayers. Prosecutors said that although there were no casualties in the bombing, it sparked fear in the community.
Hari, 50, of Clarence, Illinois, said gender dysphoria and right-wing misinformation fueled her “internal conflict” when she was convicted of the bombing, according to court documents.
Hari’s defense attorney Shannon Elkins wrote in the documents, “She strongly wanted to make a complete change, but knew she would be ostracized from everyone and everything she knew.” “Thus, when she formed a ragtag group of freedom fighters or militia men and spoke of missions in Cuba and Venezuela, Ms Hari was secretly using the Internet for ‘sex change’, ‘transgender surgery’ and ‘post-gender surgery’. Op Transgender’.
As the Star Tribune reports, Elkins said Hari bought military outfits for his so-called missions, but bought women’s clothing for a planned trip to Thailand for female-to-female surgery. Elkins said, Hari was living a double life.
Elkins cited this as factors in asking US District Judge Donovan Frank to sentence Hari to a minimum sentence of 30 years in prison, not requesting a life sentence.
Hari also asked for a modified prison placement based on his transgender identity, but the details of the request are under seal.
Hari’s sentence is fixed on September 13.
Two Illinois men accused in this case also confessed to their crime.
