US authorities brought terrorism charges against two men for providing satellite broadcasts of Hizbullah television channel al-Manar to US customers, according to an indictment unsealed on Monday.
Saleh Elahwal, 53, and Javed Iqbal, 42, were charged with providing material support to al-Manar -- branded by the United States as a foreign terrorist organisation in March -- the indictment said. Each faces a maximum of 110 years in prison if convicted of all 11 counts.
Both men pleaded not guilty during a hearing in Manhattan federal court. Elahwal was released on $400,000 bail, while Iqbal was released on $250,000 bail.
Lawyers for both men did not comment. The men are due to appear again on Jan. 8.
The US Treasury Department froze the US assets of al-Manar in March, saying it supported the fund-raising and recruitment activities of Hizbullah.
Iqbal, a Pakistani who moved to the United States 24 years ago and lives in New York, was arrested and first charged in August with providing satellite customers with the Hizbullah-operated channel.
According to the new charges, between September 2005 and August 2006, the two men used the television company they own, Brooklyn-based HDTV Ltd., to negotiate with representatives of the al-Manar network to air the channel, according to the indictment.
Court documents said Elahwal, who lives in New Jersey, and Iqbal were paid by al-Manar more than $111,000 between December and March.
The channel provided wide coverage of the war between Hizbullah and Israel last summer, broadcasting exclusive footage shot by Hizbullah guerrillas. It was attacked by Israeli airstrikes during the fighting.