Minneapolis, MN – The trial of Mahamud Said Omar entered its second week here, Oct. 9, with the prosecution putting Joint Terrorism Task Force officer Martin Siebenaler on the stand. Siebenaler opened up a gun case and pulled out an AK-47 machine gun. Siebenaler then proceeded to say that the gun, which came from an ATF collection, was “most similar to” the weapons used by young resistance fighters in Somalia.

Mick Kelly, of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, stated, “This is an outrageous attempt to bias the jury. The prosecution had Siebenaler bring an ATF gun as a prop. The gun he was showing off was not linked to the defendant or anyone who has anything do with the case. It was an attempt to tell jurors that the defendant is dangerous. The tactic of introducing things that are inflammatory or scary, but that have nothing to do with the people on trial, has been used in many other so-called terrorism cases.”

Martin Siebenaler was involved in a similar stunt at the trial of another young Somali. Siebenaler was also a participant in the Sept. 24, 2010 raids on Twin Cities anti-war and international solidarity activists.

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