International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

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Wednesday June 24, 2009 · 12:25 PM PDT

2009/06/24 · 12:25

On the occasion of International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (this Friday), I wanted to ask my fellow Kossacks to simply sign and fax a letter (pasted at bottom of entry) to President Obama (202-456-2461) to help one of our fellow Americans who has been convicted on evidence produced under conditions of torture.

Ahmed Abu Ali was a young Arab-American studying abroad in Saudi Arabia in 2003 when he was abruptly arrested by Saudi security forces and held for twenty months, during which time he was interrogated - notably not only by the Saudis, but also FBI agents.

John Halliwell

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Tuesday September 02, 2008 · 8:17 PM PDT

2008/09/02 · 20:17

After five long years of constant persecution, legal set-backs, and outright denial of basic constitutional rights, Sami Al-Arian will finally leave his cell, even if only temporarily. Earlier today, a federal judge finally enforced the order she had given two months ago to have Dr. Al-Arian let out on bail.

John Halliwell

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Friday August 15, 2008 · 10:01 AM PDT

2008/08/15 · 10:01

There have been several important developments in the Al-Arian case since my last blog six weeks ago. Last Friday witnessed an intense courtroom sparring match with its fair share of ad hominem attacks, sexist remarks, melodramatic rants, and last-minute revelations of underhanded legal maneuverings, culminating with the completely unexpected ruling that the trial – originally scheduled for last Wednesday August 13th – would be postponed indefinitely.

John Halliwell

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Tuesday July 01, 2008 · 8:11 AM PDT

2008/07/01 · 08:11

Last March, Sami Al-Arian was given a choice: 1) damned if you do; and 2) damned if you don't; he chose "damned if you don't". Finally, a full three months after making that decision, he was formally charged last Thursday with contempt of court, a crime which has no maximum penalty. In other words, Dr. Al-Arian - a man whose innocence has been grudgingly admitted by even his worst enemies* - is now facing the possibility of life in jail all because he had the guts to stand up for what he believes in.

John Halliwell

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Monday May 12, 2008 · 7:30 AM PDT

2008/05/12 · 07:30

While the Bush Administration has, from time to time, done things which are – ahem – ethically questionable, it has usually made at least a half-hearted attempt to cover them with a veneer of legality.
Occasionally, however, it will throw aside any such pretensions. Take Sami Al-Arian, a man who should never have been imprisoned in the first place, who has spent the last five years in jail under conditions decried by Amnesty International as "gratuitously punitive," whose prison term ended on April 11th, and who is nevertheless still being held behind bars.

John Halliwell

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Sunday April 13, 2008 · 11:39 AM PDT

2008/04/13 · 11:39

The case against Clevinger was open and shut. The only thing missing was something to charge him with. - Joseph Heller, Catch-22

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International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

SAMI AL-ARIAN RELEASED ON BAIL!!!

Riveting Court Drama in the Al-Arian Case

Indicted, Sami Al-Arian Faces Possible Life Imprisonment

Bush Administration: We're Working on the Legalities

Sami Al-Arian, Catch-22, and the Tragedy of Post-9/11 America