Al-Arian Released on Bail
September 02, 2008
The Muslim Public Affairs Council today welcomed the release of former professor Sami Al-Arian from federal custody. Al-Arian was released on bail and will be restricted to home detention while he awaits trial for contempt of court.
Immigration authorities released Al-Arian hours before a federal judge had ordered the agency to explain Al-Arian's continued detention.
Since his arrest five years ago, Al-Arian's case has become an example of what many American Muslims perceived to be numerous post-9/11 political persecutions of individuals using tactics that amount to little more than guilt by association.
SEE: "Ex-Professor in Palestinian Case Is Freed After 5 Years" (Washington Post, 9/3/08)
A former Florida university professor, Al-Arian was arrested in 2003 on charges of funding terrorism. In December 2005, a jury acquitted him of 8 of the 17 charges brought against him and was hung on the remaining charges. In April 2006, Dr. Al-Arian pleaded guilty to a single non-terrorism related count of conspiracy and agreed to be deported.
Despite the U.S. government's representation that Dr. Al-Arian would not be compelled to testify against others, Dr. Al-Arian was subpoenaed and jailed for refusing to testify against others. Even after a civil contempt charge was lifted in 2007, the Justice Department again subpoenaed Dr. Al-Arian to testify before another grand jury in 2008. He currently faces contempt of court charges in federal court in Virginia for failing to testify to a grand jury.
