SANTA ANA (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the force-feeding of a California man suspected of trying to aid the Islamic State group.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter gave the order at a hearing Monday, after learning that 24-year-old Muhanad Badawi of Anaheim had lost another three pounds despite being ordered Thursday to eat.
Carter said the force-feeding was clearly necessary but he didn’t want it to turn it into a form of punishment.
Badawi is down to 109 pounds from 140 after refusing to eat for much of the past month.
His lawyer Kate Corrigan called the order unusual.
Badawi has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization.
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