Al-Arian on hunger strike again

Sami Al-Arian is on the fifth day of a hunger strike in a Virginia prison, protesting a third subpoena to testify before a grand jury. He has refused food and water and has been transferred to a medical ward.

His daughter Laila, who visited him Wednesday, described him as "dehydrated, weak and disoriented.''
Al-Arian’s wife Nahla, who lives in Egypt with their two youngest children, telephoned him today and said she could barely hear him.

"I am so very worried about Sami,'' she said. "It’s shocking that the Department of Justice would reach this low.''

In December 2005, a Tampa jury acquitted Al-Arian on eight terrorism-related charges and deadlocked on nine. In May, 2006, Al-Arian accepted a plea deal, admitting to helping associates of a terrorist group with immigration and legal matters. Federal prosecutors recommended Al-Arian be released from prison in a few months and deported. But Tampa federal judge James S. Moody extended his sentence until April, 2007.

A few months before Al-Arian's scheduled release, Gordon Kromberg, an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, subpoenaed Al-Arian to testify before a grand jury or face civil contempt charges. Al-Arian argued the order contradicted his plea agreement which exempted him from signing a cooperation clause.

But Moody ruled that the exemption  "was not memorialized in writing'' and was not binding.

Kromberg has subpoenaed Al-Arian three times to testify before a Virginia grand jury, which has been convened to look at the activities of an Islamic think tank in Virginia. Kromberg would not comment.
Twice, Al-Arian was charged with civil contempt for refusing to testify, which extended his time in prison a year beyond his sentence.

In late January, 2007, Al-Arian went on a water-only hunger strike to protest being held in contempt for refusing to testify. After losing 60 pounds in 60 days, his family convinced him to eat again.

In December, 2007, a federal judge in Virginia lifted Al-Arian’s contempt charge and he was scheduled to be released in early April, 2008. But last week, Kromberg issued a third subpoena which, if Al-Arian refuses to testify, could keep him in prison for another 18 months. This time, he is neither eating food nor drinking any liquids.

"My dad told us he has reached his limit,'' said Laila Al-Arian. "When he was acquitted over two years ago, we thought his nightmare was over, but it never ends.''

-- Meg Laughlin, Times staff writer

Comments

[Kat]

How is this the federal government's problem/fault? If he doesn't want to eat.......so be it.

[CP]

The federal government should release Sami Al-Arian so that they can then deport him. This was agreed to in his plea deal. The federal government could not make their case stick against him. I had Al-Arian for two classes at USF and he seemed like an honorable man. Our government needs to keep their part of the deal and release Sami Al-Arian.

[Tommy]

Screw Sami. I am sick and tired of hearing oh Sami is such an honorably man ladee da da. Sami has been recorded preaching about how Israel should disappear. He has pleaded to assisting terrorists, yet he is such an honorable man. Sami needs to be punished, he needs to pay for the things he has said, and for what he has done. Helping terrorists is just as bad as being a terrorist. I hope you rot in hell Sami, actually hell is to good for you!

[haha]

I hope he dies in prison.

Helping terrorist is pretty much the same as blowing people up.

Let em starve to death.

[Rodger]

So he isnt hungry, why put him in a medical ward. if he is hungry and wont eat or drink then he is only hurting himself. I guess threatening to hold his breath like a child wasnt going to work.

[miguel]

Too bad the rest of his racist family hasn't joined him.

[Tom]

Sounds like the same attitude these suicide bombers have except Ai-Arian is working the press. Yes, he is suffering but for his own cause!