Chicago, IL – On Oct. 25, wind gusts of over 30 miles an hour almost tore the banner from the hands of supporters of the Holy Land Five. 20 activists gathered for a lunch hour protest in front of the national headquarters of President Obama’s re-election campaign.

Hatem Abudayyeh thanked the folks who came out, leafleted and talked to passersby. “The Supreme Court will decide in the next two weeks if they will hear this appeal. We have to raise awareness now,” said Abudayyeh.

Abudayyeh, one of 23 anti-war activists targeted by an FBI raid in September 2010, has yet to receive his belongings from Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas. Jonas helped lead the prosecution of the Holy Land Five and is also involved the investigation of the Anti-War 23.

#ChicagoIL #Palestine #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #HatemAbudayyeh #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #HolyLandFoundation #HolyLandFive #BarryJonas #PoliticalPrisoners

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

In late July 2012, Northern Illinois Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas refused to return much of the material seized in the FBI raid on the home of Hatem Abudayyeh, citing the ongoing “material support for terrorism” investigation that is underway against anti-war, Palestinian and international solidarity activists.

Barry Jonas is well known for participating in one of the worst violations of civil liberties in the past decade. He played a leading role in prosecuting the leaders of the United Holy Land Foundation while he was trial attorney for the Department of Justice Counter-terrorism Section.

Michael Deutsch, Abudayyeh's lawyer, who has a long history of fighting government repression, stated, “The continuing investigation after almost two years is grossly unjust and an effort by the Obama administration to silence those who speak and organize against U.S. policies at home and around the world.”

The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has told lawyers representing the anti-war and international solidarity activists that they are preparing “multiple indictments of multiple people.” Barry Jonas’ refusal to return Abudayyeh’s papers is the latest confirmation that the investigation has not ended and that the Justice Department is continuing its vendetta against those who are working for peace with justice. This needs to be taken seriously. In a number of “material support of terrorism” cases, there has been a gap of one to three or more years between the FBI raids and indictments.

In September of 2010, more than 70 FBI agents took part in a series of coordinated raids on the homes of well-known anti-war, labor and international solidarity activists, along with the office of the Twin Cities based Anti-War Committee. A total of 23 activists, including Abudayyeh, were subpoenaed to a Chicago grand jury. All of them refused to testify in the secret proceedings.

Most of the activists targeted in this case, including Abudayyeh, helped organize the massive protest at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota. At that time, an undercover law enforcement officer, going by the name of “ Karen Sullivan,” infiltrated the protest efforts and stuck around to spy and lie about many of the 23 activists.

That Barry Jonas is now the lead prosecutor for the international solidarity activists is troubling. Jonas is a pro-Israel ideologue whose work in prosecuting the Holy Land case exposed his politically motivated willingness to trample on the rights of accused Palestinians. As the lead prosecutor in the Holy Land case, Jonas used secret witnesses (the defense never got to find out who the witnesses were), hearsay evidence and the introduction of evidence that had nothing to do with the defendants in the case – such as showing a video from Palestine of protesters burning an American flag – as a means to prejudice the jury. The result was that five men, who did nothing wrong, are sitting in prison with sentences that range between 15 and 65 years.

With each passing day, the U.S. is becoming a more repressive place. Hundreds of Arabs and Muslims have and are facing unjust prosecutions, or have already been put behind bars. Also, a grand jury is threatening political activists in the Northwest; criminal proceedings are taking place against NATO protesters in Chicago; and the Occupy movement has faced a wave of police violence.

The Committee to Stop FBI Repression urges all our supporters to sign the pledge to take action now, (http://www.stopfbi.net/get-involved/pledge-of-resistance) to be ready in the event that international solidarity activists are indicted. We recently won a victory when we defeated the frame-up against veteran Chicano leader Carlos Montes. We need to do everything in our power to push back against these attacks on our right to protest, organize and speak out for justice. Together we will win!

#ChicagoIL #FBI #CarlosMontes #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #BarryJonas #AntiWar23

Chicago, IL – The Northern Illinois Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas stated that the “investigation is continuing” into the case of the anti-war and international solidarity activists who have been hit with FBI raids and grand jury repression. Barry Jonas played a leading role in prosecuting the leaders of the Holy Land Foundation while he was trial attorney for the Department of Justice Counter-terrorism Section.

“This is another confirmation of what we have been hearing all along from the U.S. Attorney’s office – they are going for multiple indictments of multiple activists,” stated Jess Sundin, a Twin Cities Anti-War leader whose home was raided by the FBI. “The government subpoenaed 23 international solidarity activists to a Chicago grand jury and the government is trying to jail veteran Chicano leader Carlos Montes. Jonas confirmed what we already knew – the government is trying to imprison anti-war activists on the grounds of ‘material support for terrorism.’”

The confirmation of the ongoing investigation came in a Jan. 24 phone call between Jonas and Bruce Nestor, an attorney who is representing some of the activists.

Nestor initially contacted Minneapolis Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Winter to view some of the sealed documents in the case. The grand jury proceedings against the anti-war activists are secret and the vast majority of documents relating to their case are under seal, meaning that they cannot be viewed by the targeted activists or their attorneys. Assistant U.S. Attorney Winter helped oversee the Sept. 24, 2010 raids and in recent months has represented the government on the issue of returning property seized in the raids. Winter told Nestor to contact Chicago Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas.

Jonas told Nestor the documents would remain secret “pending completion of the investigation.”

“That Barry Jonas is now involved in our case is an ominous development” said Sundin. “He is famous for one of the most appalling attacks on civil and democratic rights in the past decade – the prosecution of the Holy Land Five. “

The Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development was once the largest Muslim charity in the U.S. Its efforts were geared towards providing humanitarian aid to help the people of Palestine and other countries. In 2001 its offices were raided. Three years later, five people associated with the charity were indicted. The first trial ended with a hung jury. The second trial ended with convictions. The five defendants received sentences that range from 15 to 65 years in prison.

The trial included secret witnesses – the defense never got to find out who the witnesses were – the use of hearsay evidence and the introduction of evidence that had nothing to do with the defendants in the case, such as showing a video from Palestine of protesters burning an American flag, as a means to prejudice the jury.

As lead prosecutor, Barry Jonas played a key role in all this. He is now working under Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who runs the federal grand jury attacking anti-war and international solidarity activists.

“That Barry Jonas is chasing peace activists means we have to be ready for every dirty trick in the book. The record is clear. The way he sees it, solidarity with Palestine is a crime. We need to push back as hard as we can.” said Jess Sundin.

Sundin urges all supporters of peace with justice to sign the pledge to take action (http://www.stopfbi.net/get-involved/pledge-of-resistance) in the event that international solidarity activists are indicted.

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #September24FBIRaids #PatrickFitzgerald #HolyLandFoundation #HolyLandFive #BarryJonas #AndrewWinter