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Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace<br><br>
March 18, 2008 <br><br>
Dr. Al-Arian Transferred to Virginia <br><br>
ALEXANDRIA, Va.-- Yesterday, Dr. Sami Al-Arian was transferred from the
Federal Medical Center in Butner, NC back to the local jail in Warsaw,
Virginia where he was held previously, to comply with a judge's March 3
order granting him immunity for a THIRD grand jury appearance. Today is
the 17th day of a water and food strike that Dr. Al-Arian began to
protest persistent harassment and psychological torture by the Department
of Justice. He has since lost 29 pounds. <br><br>
Dr. Al-Arian is being asked to testify before yet another grand jury less
than three weeks before his scheduled release date. His attorneys have
advised Dr. Al-Arian not to testify, as the plea agreement signed with
prosecutors in April 2006 removed the possibility of cooperation.
Additionally, these grand jury subpoenas are a trap intended to prolong
Dr. Al-Arian's imprisonment long after his promised release date. If he
testifies, he is to be charged with perjury, facing years of additional
prison time. If he is convicted of criminal contempt for not testifying,
Dr. Al-Arian faces a minimum of five years in prison. These efforts to
convict Dr. Al-Arian in a wholly separate case (more than two years after
he was acquitted by a federal jury) are clearly a last-ditch, vindictive
effort on behalf of the Justice Department, led by a rogue prosecutor who
has made bigoted statements against Muslims, to punish Dr. Al-Arian for
his acquittal. The Department of Justice must keep the promise it made to
Dr. Al-Arian in his plea agreement and release him on April 7, when his
current sentence is up. <br><br>
Members of Dr. Al-Arian's family visited him last weekend at the prison
medical facility where he was being held in Butner, North Carolina. They
observed the effects of the hunger strike on Dr. Al-Arian, noting
symptoms of severe dehydration. As of Monday, Dr. Al-Arian was examined
by a doctor only one time in nearly a week. The government refuses to
allow an outside doctor to examine Dr. Al-Arian despite requests by his
attorneys, family members, and thousands of supporters. Butner Medical
Center received thousands of telephone calls from concerned people from
across the country and around the world. <br><br>
TAKE ACTION <br><br>
Given that Dr. Al-Arian has been on a hunger strike since March 3, 2008
we urgently ask all conscientious and justice-seeking individuals to FAX
OR WRITE Judge Gerald Lee to ask for an immediate end to Dr.
Al-Arian's suffering. <br><br>
1- Honorable Judge Gerald Lee<br><br>
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia<br>
401 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314<br><br>
Fax: (703) 299-3339 <br><br>
2-Please contribute to the National Liberty Fund to help alleviate costs
of Dr. Al-Arian's <br>
legal defense: <br><br>
Please send checks to:<br><br>
National Liberty Fund<br>
P.O. Box 1211<br>
24525 E. Welches Road<br>
Welches, OR 97067<br><br>
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<font size=3 color="#FF0000">Freedom Archives<br>
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