2015-02-07 US Deports Professor Sami Al-Arian for Criticizing Israel and Backing Palestinian Rights
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[Truthout]
" a glaring example of post-9/11 “America’s eroding democratic values.”
"One of the ugliest post-9/11 trials was the terrorism prosecution of a Palestinian immigrant, Dr. Sami Al-Arian, for using strong words in criticizing Israel and backing Palestinian rights, a case that amounted to thought crimes. It has now ended with Al-Arian's deportation...
“For most of the three years after his arrest, Al-Arian was kept in solitary confinement awaiting trial. During this time, he was regularly subjected to strip-searches, denied normal visitation rights with his family, and allegedly abused by prison staff. … When Al-Arian’s case did finally reach trial after years of harsh imprisonment, prosecutors failed to convict Al-Arian on even one charge brought against him. Jurors voted to acquit him on the most serious counts he faced and deadlocked on the remainder of the indictments.
“The outcome was hugely embarrassing for the U.S. government. Despite having amassed over 20,000 hours of phone conversations and hundreds of fax messages from over a decade of surveilling Al-Arian, the [Justice Department] - even with all the advantages they enjoyed in terrorism cases in 2003 (and continue to enjoy today) - was unable to convince a jury Al-Arian was the arch-terrorist they had very publicly proclaimed him to be."
http://truth-out.org/…/28979-us-deports-professor-sami-al-a…#
======================
[Truthout]
" a glaring example of post-9/11 “America’s eroding democratic values.”
"One of the ugliest post-9/11 trials was the terrorism prosecution of a Palestinian immigrant, Dr. Sami Al-Arian, for using strong words in criticizing Israel and backing Palestinian rights, a case that amounted to thought crimes. It has now ended with Al-Arian's deportation...
“For most of the three years after his arrest, Al-Arian was kept in solitary confinement awaiting trial. During this time, he was regularly subjected to strip-searches, denied normal visitation rights with his family, and allegedly abused by prison staff. … When Al-Arian’s case did finally reach trial after years of harsh imprisonment, prosecutors failed to convict Al-Arian on even one charge brought against him. Jurors voted to acquit him on the most serious counts he faced and deadlocked on the remainder of the indictments.
“The outcome was hugely embarrassing for the U.S. government. Despite having amassed over 20,000 hours of phone conversations and hundreds of fax messages from over a decade of surveilling Al-Arian, the [Justice Department] - even with all the advantages they enjoyed in terrorism cases in 2003 (and continue to enjoy today) - was unable to convince a jury Al-Arian was the arch-terrorist they had very publicly proclaimed him to be."
http://truth-out.org/…/28979-us-deports-professor-sami-al-a…#
Sami Al-Arian was targeted because he emerged as one of the most prominent and effective advocates for Palestinian rights that US officials had ever faced.
TRUTH-OUT.ORG|BY FLYNT LEVERETT AND HILLARY MANN LEVERETT
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