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Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace<br>
June 21, 2007<br><br>
Contempt Extended Four Months for Dr. Al-Arian<br><br>
ALEXANDRIA Today in a closed hearing in federal court Dr. Sami Al-<br>
Arian was ordered held until at least October, which will mark nine <br>
months since he was held in contempt, half way through the 18-month <br>
maximum of the citation. According to family members who spoke with <br>
Dr. Al-Arian, Judge Gerald Bruce Lee of the Eastern District of <br>
Virginia made a finding that further confinement may coerce his <br>
testimony. Dr. Al-Arian was acquitted of terrorism charges in <br>
December 2005 but remains behind bars due to his refusal to testify <br>
in a politically motivated grand jury investigation designed to <br>
punish him. While Judge Lee rejected the government's argument that <br>
Dr. Sami must spend 18 months in jail, the maximum under the civil <br>
contempt statute, he found that family considerations may still <br>
induce him to break his silence. Specifically, the judge pointed to <br>
the hundreds of letters and postcards he received from Dr. Al-Arian's
<br>
supporters urging his release, and said these letters indicate that <br>
Dr. Al-Arian's strong bond with his family might convince him to <br>
testify in order to be reunited with them. In fact, Dr. Al-Arian's <br>
desire to rejoin his family is exactly the reason he will not <br>
testify, because he believes doing so is a road to entrapment, future
<br>
prosecutions, and many more years of unjust incarceration.<br><br>
However, Judge Lee did agree with Dr. Al-Arian's lawyers that if he <br>
makes a finding that further incarceration will not elicit his <br>
testimony he must be freed from civil contempt. <br><br>
Although the hearing did not address anything remotely touching on <br>
sensitive information, or involve national security, it has been <br>
filed under seal. The New York Sun has filed an action seeking to
<br>
open the proceedings to the public. Dr. Al-Arian's wife Nahla
Al-<br>
Arian said, "Since he will never testify, how can the government
<br>
justify closing the hearings unless it is trying to cover up its <br>
treatment of a political prisoner?"<br><br>
While counsel could not discuss what occurred in the sealed hearing,
<br>
they stated their appreciation for the court and its rejection of <br>
extreme interpretations put forward by the government. Lead attorney
<br>
for the defense, Jonathan Turley commented, "Dr. Al-Arian has now
<br>
been imprisoned for five years despite the fact that he was never <br>
convicted of any count in the Florida trial. He has been confined for
<br>
six months and two grand juries. It was always obvious that he would
<br>
not yield to these coercive measures and that the real purpose of the
<br>
government is to punish a man who they could not convict in a court <br>
of law."<br><br>
Dr. Al-Arian's eldest son Abdullah said: "My father risked his life
<br>
in demonstrating his unwillingness to testify. He is a man of <br>
principle and he'll never back down. This is all a political <br>
persecution. The Department of Justice has not upheld its end of the
<br>
bargain." <br><br>
We urge all supporters and people of conscience to write to officials
<br>
demanding an end to Dr. Al-Arian's incarceration (please see below <br>
for a list of names and addresses).<br><br>
Letters of support undoubtedly make a difference. Because the <br>
Department of Justice received many letters demanding a probe into <br>
the racially-motivated acts of abuse that Dr. Al-Arian suffered in <br>
April under the hands of prison guards in Petersburg, Virginia, the <br>
Inspector General of the DOJ has launched an investigation into that
<br>
incident. The Inspector General annually receives over 10,000 <br>
reports of abuse and only investigates a handful, which means they <br>
took these allegations seriously, and the thousands of letters, <br>
emails, phone calls and faxes they received were heard loud and <br>
clear. <br><br>
We urgently ask all conscientious and justice-seeking individuals to
<br>
call, email or write officials to ask for an immediate end to Dr. Al-
<br>
Arian's suffering.<br><br>
1- Honorable Judge Gerald Lee<br>
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia<br>
401 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314<br><br>
2- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales<br>
Department of Justice<br>
U.S. Department of Justice<br>
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW<br>
Washington, DC 20530-0001<br>
Fax Number: (202) 307-6777<br><br>
BY E-MAIL:<br>
E-mails to the Department of Justice, including the Attorney
General,<br>
may be sent to AskDOJ@usdoj. gov<br><br>
3- The Honorable John Conyers, Jr<br>
2426 Rayburn Building<br>
Washington, DC 20515<br>
(202) 225-5126<br>
(202) 225-0072 Fax<br>
John.Conyers@ mail.house. gov<br><br>
4- Senator Patrick Leahy<br>
433 Russell Senate Office Building<br>
United States Senate<br>
Washington, DC 20510<br>
(299029)224- 4242<br><br>
senator_leahy@ leahy.senate. gov<br><br>
<br>
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