Vol. 72/No. 37      September 22, 2008

Al-Arian, a tenured University of South Florida professor and supporter of the Palestinian national liberation struggle, was released on bail September 2. He will remain under house arrest at his daughter’s residence in Virginia while he awaits trial on contempt charges against him or until several motions for dismissal of those charges are decided.

Al-Arian had been imprisoned since February 2003 on frame-up “terrorism” charges. In December 2005 the government’s case collapsed when a federal jury in Tampa, Florida, acquitted him of the terrorism charges and deadlocked on other counts. Despite not being convicted on any charge, he was returned to prison.

Al-Arian agreed to plead guilty to “conspiracy to provide services” to Palestinian Islamic Jihad in return for immunity from further prosecution and an agreement that he be deported from the United States. In return the government was to release him from prison after he served what remained of a 57-month sentence. Instead, the government kept him in prison and continued its campaign of harassment.

During his imprisonment, al-Arian was charged with criminal contempt for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury investigating Muslim organizations in Virginia. He was put in solitary confinement on numerous occasions. He 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. At the same time Immigration and Customs Enforcement incarcerated him pending deportation. The government, however, stalled 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.

“We are thrilled that our father is back home after five and a half years of visits behind glass,” Laila al-Arian, his eldest daughter, told the Militant September 4. “We still have the trial before us. But the Supreme Court could rule in our favor. Or, the judge can drop the charges.” She thanked all those who supported her father over the years.

For more information on Sami al-Arian’s defense campaign see www.freesamialarian.com.

Janice Lynn in Washington, D.C., contributed to this article.  
 
 
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