Media companies ask judge to unseal plea in terrorism case

The Associated Press and Newsday have asked a federal judge to unseal a plea agreement between prosecutors and a Colorado airport shuttle driver who pleaded guilty to terrorism charges earlier this week, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Najibullah Zazi admitted to plotting to create homemade explosives from beauty supplies to attack the New York City subways shortly after the anniversary of Sept. 11.  At the request of the attorneys and prosecutors in the case, the court sealed both the plea agreement and the request for the plea agreement to be sealed. Newsday reporter John Riley, however, says that those documents may contain information on whether Zazi’s relatives were threatened with prosecution in order to convince Zazi to cooperate with authorities.

Attorneys in the case must respond to the news organizations’ request by Friday, according to U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Dearie.