Sami Al-Arian

I first heard about Sami Al-Arian about a month ago in the ever-reliable The Nation, clickable on the right side.

For your sake, I will summarize as briefly as possible:

Former Attorney General John Ashcroft arrested Al-Arian, a computer professor, back in 2003, accusing the Kuwait-born Palestinian of terrorism. Two-and-a-half years (mostly in solitary confinement) and $50 million in prosecution costs later, a Florida jury acquitted Al-Arian on the most serious charges. On the other charges, it was a split-decision: 10-2 in favor of acquittal.

The Department of Justice opted to re-try Al-Arian, even though a 10-2 split in favor of the defendant doesn't usually bode well for prosecutors.

To spare him and his family from another drawn-out trial, Al-Arian chose to accept a plea. Part of the plea stipulated that he would be a part of no further prosecutions and that he wouldn't be called to testify in any more government cases.

The judge gave Al-Arian eleven more months, at the end of which, he would leave the country.

Then he was called to testify against an Islamic think tank, even though it's in direct violation of his plea agreement. When he refused to testify, he was cited for contempt. He faces an additional eighteen months in prison.

On January 22, Al-Arian began a hunger strike. A diabetic, he collapsed on February 14 and was moved to a military prison in North Carolina. He could well die there.

At the urging of his family, Al-Arian shifted from a water-only hunger strike to a liquid-only hunger strike.

The DoJ should live up to their end of the plea agreement and release this man. For more information, go here.