El Zaatari, a native of Lebanon, was returning home October 28 when he was arrested at Pittsburgh International Airport. The "dangerous concealed weapon" was a disposable pen-sized plastic utility knife among his art supplies inside a laptop computer. The U.S. Attorney's office offered no evidence linking El Zaatari with any terrorist incidents or groups.

A dozen supporters and friends of El Zaatari attended the court hearing where Judge Donetta Ambrose said the penalty for the crime could include fines, three years supervised release, and a jail sentence of not more than 10 years. She accepted a guilty plea bargain from El Zaatari and sentenced him to time served, immediate deportation, a $100 assessment fee, and "debriefing" by FBI agents.

El Zaatari's attorney, Anthony Mariani, said that "his client had agreed to depart at his own expense without the need for a deportation order and will remain eligible for a visa to return to the United States."

Since his arrest, the Lebanese student has been held without bail in Allegheny County Jail, locked down 23 hours a day in a cramped "protective custody" cell, and faced death threats from other prisoners. A friend and supporter of El Zaatari said the student couldn't take it any more in the jail and asked his lawyer to make a deal so he could return home.
 
 
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