The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 72/No. 31      August 4, 2008

 
Imprisoned Palestinian faces another trial
 
BY MAGGIE TROWE  
MIAMI—Supporters of jailed Florida professor Sami al-Arian will rally August 13 in front of the Alexandria, Virginia, courthouse where al-Arian’s latest trial will begin. Although a judge ordered his release on bail while awaiting trial, immigration authorities moved him from Alexandria to the Pamunkey Regional Jail, 90 miles from his family and attorney, and are holding him in solitary confinement on 23-hour lockdown.

In 2003 al-Arian, a tenured University of South Florida professor and a supporter of the Palestinian national liberation struggle, was charged with supporting terrorism. In spite of the government’s efforts to prevent the defense from viewing much of the classified evidence against him, in 2005 a jury found al-Arian not guilty of the main charges. In a plea agreement he pled guilty to “conspiracy to provide services” to Palestinian Islamic Jihad in return for immunity from further prosecution and an agreement that he be deported after serving what remained of a 57-month sentence.

In the latest government attack, al-Arian is charged with criminal contempt for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury investigating Muslim organizations in Virginia. Al-Arian has been in prison for more than five years, during which time he has been put in the “hole”—solitary confinement—on numerous occasions. He has carried out three hunger strikes.

He completed serving all his time in April. At a pretrial hearing for the contempt charges, Judge Leonie Brinkema granted al-Arian bail. However, he is now being held in detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending deportation. In a catch-22 move, however, the government is stalling on deportation proceedings, maintaining that no country will accept al-Arian, in spite of the fact that his attorney submitted travel documents issued by the Egyptian government before the latest indictment.

In the pretrial hearing Brinkema said she was getting “strange signals” from the prosecution, and that the government should not be found to have obstructed efforts of another government to accept al-Arian. She also reminded the state that the plea agreement requiring expeditious deportation remains in effect.

A film about the case, USA vs al-Arian, is being shown around the country. To schedule a screening, contact Mel Underbakke, (813) 215-3403 or send an e-mail to melvau@earthlink.net.

The August 13 courthouse protest will take place at 8:00 a.m. in front of the Albert V. Bryan Courthouse, 401 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, Virginia.
 
 
Related articles:
U.S. government begins first military trial in Guantánamo
Local cops and others drafted as ‘terrorism’ snoops in Colorado  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home