A former FBI informant, Kamran Faridi, who infiltrated al-Qaeda and Islamic State-linked networks in Syria and Turkey, has been released from prison in Florida after serving a reduced sentence for threatening his handlers. Faridi, 52, from Pakistan, served over four years in prison before being released last month. He was initially jailed for seven years, but his sentence was reduced to 72 months earlier this year.
Faridi revealed that he had been released on probation and was expected to leave the US under a voluntary departure agreement. Despite being dismissed by the FBI, he was arrested over death threats in phone messages to former colleagues. Faridi expressed disappointment in how he was treated by the FBI and the US government and revealed his struggles with being left with no money and nowhere to go but Pakistan.
Faridi’s work included infiltrating various militant and criminal organizations, including al-Qaeda and Islamic State networks in Syria and Turkey. He emphasized feeling let down by the FBI and highlighted the risks he took in his work, expressing a desire to make the world a better place despite the challenges he faced.