Washington ? A Virginia man accused of plotting with al-Qaida to kill President Bush should be held indefinitely, federal prosecutors said Wednesday in court filings that also rejected his contention that he was tortured while held in Saudi Arabia.

At a court hearing a day earlier in Alexandria, Va., 23-year-old Ahmed Abu Ali offered to display scars on his back as proof that he was tortured by Saudi authorities. In their filing Wednesday, prosecutors said, “There is no credible evidence to support those claims.”

Abu Ali never complained about his treatment during several meetings with an American diplomat in Saudi Arabia, according to the filing. Moreover, an American doctor examined him Monday and found “no evidence of physical mistreatment on … any part of his body.”

Edward MacMahon, one of Abu Ali’s lawyers, said Wednesday he had not seen the government’s motion and declined to comment. But on Tuesday, both MacMahon and defense lawyer Ashraf Nubani had said they had seen the scars on his back. Nubani said they looked like whip marks.

Abu Ali would pose “an exceptionally grave danger to the community” if released before his trial, prosecutors said in Wednesday’s filing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. Abu Ali also would be unlikely to show up for his trial, they said.

Until now, the government has said little about the Abu Ali’s arrest and detention in Saudi Arabia, where he was held for 20 months before being suddenly flown to America on Tuesday.

His lawyers and family allege the Saudis held him at the U.S. government’s request and tortured him with the knowledge of American officials. Prior to Abu Ali’s return, a lawsuit filed on his family’s behalf in U.S. District Court in Washington sought information about his capture and treatment.

The government sought to have the case dismissed, but U.S. District Judge John Bates has declined, saying the family had presented circumstantial evidence to support their claims of torture.