The Man Who Refused to Plead Guilty
How a Muslim Convicted of Terrorism Won His Freedom
Published on 20. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-0-7453-5196-4 (ISBN)
Description
'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.
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.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 207 mm
Width: 137 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
296 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7453-5196-4 (9780745351964)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Uzair S. Paracha
The Man Who Refused to Plead Guilty
How a Muslim Convicted of Terrorism Won His Freedom
E-Book
04/2026
1st Edition
Pluto Press
€20.49
Available for download
Persons
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.
Denny 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.
Denny 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.
Content
Part 1: Dismantling Dreams
Part 2: Fighting to Live
Part 3: Growing in the Dark
Part 4: The Unhappening
Acknowledgments
Afterword by Asim Qureshi
Part 2: Fighting to Live
Part 3: Growing in the Dark
Part 4: The Unhappening
Acknowledgments
Afterword by Asim Qureshi