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<a href="http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/freefahad270410.html" eudora="autourl">
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/freefahad270410.html<br><br>
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<a href="http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/freefahad280410.html">After
3 Years in Solitary Fahad Takes a Plea<br>
</a></u></b></font><font size=3>by CUNY 4 Fahad, Theaters Against War,
and Educators for Civil Liberties <br><br>
On Tuesday April 27, <a href="http://freefahad.com/">Fahad Hashmi</a>
took a government plea bargain. He pleaded guilty to 1 count of
conspiracy for allowing an acquaintance to store waterproof socks,
ponchos, and raincoats in his apartment. The government dropped the
other 3 charges. Fahad made this decision after having served 3
long years in solitary confinement and one day after Judge Preska
approved the government's recent
<a href="http://www.ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/ccr-denounces-government-attempt-frighten-jury-nyc-trial-fahad-hashmi">
request for an anonymous jury</a> with extra security measures. In
addition to the use of secret evidence and indefinite solitary
confinement in Fahad's case, the move to have an anonymous jury raised
already heightened concerns as to whether a fair trial was even
possible. With sentencing to happen on June 7, Fahad faces a
maximum of 15 years, as opposed to the 70 years he might have faced if he
had been convicted on all 4 counts. With time already served (4
years total) and considerations for good behavior, Fahad could be out in
less than 10 years. It is of note that on the eve of the trial the
government was willing to shave 55 years off the potential
sentence.<br><br>
Today's decision does not in any way detract from the importance of the
work we've been doing and the civil rights and human rights issues that
Fahad's case has raised. The government's use of Special
Administrative Measures and the attacks on due process in
"terrorism" cases like Fahad's continue and cast a pall on the
US justice system. For that reason, we plan to hold our usual
<a href="http://www.thawaction.org/">vigil on Monday night</a> outside
the Metropolitan Correctional Center. We hope you will spread
the word and join us.<br><br>
We will be posting further thoughts and analysis on Fahad's case and the
attendant issues in the coming week.<br><br>
<a href="http://justice4fahad.org/">CUNY 4 Fahad</a><br>
<a href="http://thawaction.org/">Theaters Against War</a><br>
<a href="http://www.educatorsforcivilliberties.org/">Educators for Civil
Liberties</a><br>
<hr>
Update <br><br>
<b>N.B.:</b> After the announcement below was published,
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63Q5SD20100427">Reuters</a>
reported that Fahad Hashmi pled guilty to "one count of material
support to a foreign terrorist organization": "Hashmi's guilty
plea was part of a last-minute deal with prosecutors in which he admitted
to certain charges in exchange for three other counts being dropped, thus
avoiding a trial and a possible 70-year sentence." There will
be <b>no trial</b>. Instead, a sentencing hearing is scheduled for
the 7th of June.<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
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