CNN cites Sharia law in legal motion for defamation suit over Afghanistan withdrawal reporting

CNN, in a lawsuit over its reporting on the 2021 withdrawal, has alleged that the security consulting firm was actually violating Sharia law when evacuating people from Afghanistan.

A Florida court ruled in June that Zachary Young and his company, Nemex Enterprises, had presented enough evidence to move forward with a defamation lawsuit against CNN. Young claimed CNN had slandered his security consulting firm, implied he made illegal profits while helping people flee Afghanistan, and used words like “black market,” “exploitative” and “outrageous” to portray him as a villain who preys on desperate people.

“This defamation action centers on Mr. Young’s accusation that CNN engaged in unlawful conduct when he arranged for women to be smuggled out of Afghanistan for substantial compensation,” CNN lead counsel Deanna K. Shulman said in a motion for summary judgment filed by CNN on Thursday.

Shulman said: News BustersAt the time, the Taliban were implementing Sharia law in Afghanistan, so Young’s actions were technically illegal.

“[D]”The investigation found that the activities he organized and funded, including the movement of women from Afghanistan, were almost certainly illegal under the Taliban regime,” she said.

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But the summary argued that CNN’s coverage of Young’s evacuation efforts “never addressed whether the actions of Young or any other private contractor violated Taliban law.”

“Rather, the focus is on bad war profiteers like Young, who exploited Afghan desperation and chaos in their country to demand far more for evacuation than Afghans could afford. That’s what CNN reporters believed about Young and his business then, that’s what we believe now, that’s what CNN reported on, and that’s what our investigation into this case has proven to be true beyond any serious doubt of the facts,” the summary reads.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a CNN spokesperson reiterated, “Mr. Young disputes CNN’s characterization of conditions on the ground as a black market. Acknowledging local law is a mandatory part of any legal analysis. An honest reading of CNN’s complaint finds nothing to support such a false, reckless and malicious portrayal.”

Attorney Belle Friedman attacked CNN for its references to Sharia law in defending its reporting. (Photo by Bilal Güler/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images | Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Belle Friedman, a partner at the law firm Friedman Normand Friedland who is representing Young in the case, accused the network of citing Sharia law as a desperate attempt to avoid responsibility.

“Citing a terrorist regime’s most extreme and distorted interpretation of Sharia law shows CNN’s desperate efforts to avoid responsibility. Their claims are legally baseless and an insult to the memory of those who suffered at the hands of the Taliban. I look forward to seeing CNN on trial,” Friedman told Fox News Digital.

The report cited in the lawsuit comes from CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” segment on Nov. 11, 2021, which was shared on social media and also repackaged for CNN’s website. Tapper walked viewers through how CNN correspondent Alex Marquard discovered that “Afghans attempting to flee the country face a black market full of promises, exorbitant fee demands and no guarantee of safety or success.”

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The quote also appeared as a caption at the bottom of the screen.

Plaintiff Zachary Young’s photograph was aired by CNN during the program at issue. (CNN/Screenshot)

“Desperate Afghans are being exploited,” he said, having to pay “exorbitant, often impossible, amounts” to leave the country. He named Young and his company, using a photo of Young’s face on a screen to provide an example.

No other people or companies were named besides Young.

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Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.