Press Release

(Alexandria, VA. September 16th, 2004) – On September 15th, 2004, Dr. Abdelhaleem Ashqar was released from Jail on bond from “solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Correction Facility (MCC) in Chicago” to Home Incarceration. The 2.6 million Dollar bond was set awaiting trial on criminal contempt, Obstruction of Justice and racketeering to provide material support to Hamas. The US attorney ceased the civil contempt charge on October 8, 2003 and indicted him on criminal contempt (to punish him for refusing to testify against some Muslim Organizations, Palestinian and Muslim activists, friends and scholars). After the many years of harassment and targeting of constitutionally protected activities the Government again is torturing Dr. Ashqar. He was arrested in his home on August 19, 2004 on a superceding indictment claming that he is part of a criminal conspiracy to aid Hamas.
Most of the alleged activities presented in the indictment against Dr. Ashqar occur before 1994, a time when Hamas was not designated as a terrorist organization. Moreover the alleged activities even if true were lawful activities. In order to avoid statute of limitation problems the Government alleges that Dr. Ashqar’s refusal to testify before two grand juries are overt acts in support of the criminal conspiracy of racketeering.

Free Dr. Ashqar Committee (FDAC) would like to seize this opportunity to thank both attorneys of Dr. Ashqar, Mr. Michael Kennedy and Mr. Thomas Durkin, also the Muslim and Arab Community, friends and Supporters of Dr. Ashqar. For urther information, please visit the website: www.free-ashqar.org