Cindy Lee Garcia, one of the stars of the controversial film "Innocence of Muslims" ... is renewing her battle to get it yanked off YouTube ... just as the movie stands to become a critical issue in the Presidential election.

Garcia filed a request for a temporary restraining order in federal court on Wednesday -- and in the documents she says she "never signed a release of any kind to her rights to her dramatic performance." She's basically saying the filmmakers have no right to show her in the movie.


Garcia also claims she's received "gruesome, credible death threats" since the movie came out -- and her filing includes an Egyptian cleric's fatwa ... calling for Muslims to "kill the director, the producer and the actors and everyone who helped and promoted the film."

"Innocence of Muslims" -- and the Middle Eastern violence that erupted after its release -- is certain to be front and center during Monday night's Presidential debate which focuses on foreign policy.

Garcia previously requested a TRO in a California state court that would force Google and YouTube to remove the film -- but a judge rejected it last month.

The actress who claims she was duped into starring in the anti-Islam movie "Innocence of Muslims" just LOST her battle in court -- a judge just refused to force YouTube to yank the film.

As we reported, Cindy Lee Garcia filed a lawsuit against YouTube and producer Nakoula Basseley Nakoula -- aka Sam Bacile -- claiming at the time of filming, she believed she was acting in a "historical Arabian Desert adventure film."

When the film was released, Cindy claimed it had been "changed grotesquely" to "make it appear that Ms. Garcia voluntarily performed in a hateful anti-Islamic production."

Garcia claimed her voice had been dubbed in the movie to include lines that insulted the Muslim prophet Muhammad, which she never uttered.

But today, an L.A. judge denied her request for an emergency injunction that would have required YouTube to remove the film from its site. The judge found Garcia's claims against YouTube are without merit.

Before her hearing, Cindy addressed the media (above), saying her family's lives had been threatened since the film's release, which is why she sought the injunction.

Garcia said, "My whole life has been turned upside down."

Garcia said YouTube should be required to take the movie down because it will cause more problems in the Middle East and for her own life.

During the media conference, Garcia's lawyer says the actress has been subjected to public mortification on a worldwide scale.

"It's degrading, demoralizing ... it affected our ambassador, our Navy SEALs ... I think America needs to stand behind us on this. What [the director] did was wrong. So many people were affected by it."