Nakoula Basseley Nakoula held for violating probation (Video)

Skooter reporting 09/28/12

The man who was reportedly linked to an anti-Islam video that triggered riots across the Muslim world has been held without bond after a hearing in Los Angeles, California. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, was a flight risk, a judge said, and mentioned a pattern of deception when making his ruling, Reuters news agency reported.

Nakoula was investigated for violating probation terms, however he has not been detained over the contents of the rabble-rousing video.

After Nakoula was set free from prison in 2011 for bank fraud, he was sentenced to 21 months in prison, and under the terms of his probation, he was not allowed from using computers or accessing the internet for five years without an officer’s permission.

Initially, Nakoula, a Christian from Egypt, purportedly produced the 14-minute preview for the film Innocence of Muslims. He had been in hiding after the release of the video.

At this time, the court has a lack of trust in this defendant, US Central District Chief Magistrate Judge Suzanne Segal said. Robert Dugdale, assistant attorney also believe Nakoula was flight risk. Nakoula has every reason to disappear, Dugdale said.

Separately, the Obama administration had asked Google, the company that owns YouTube, to remove the controversial trailer. The technology firm declined, saying the film did not violate its rules and has not broken any laws in the U.S., where freedom of speech is enshrined in the constitution’s first amendment.

The clip was uploaded to YouTube in July, but after Arabic TV stations put it in the air, violence only broke out on September.

BBC