Washington, DC – The U.S. Supreme Court entered an order declining the appeal of the Holy Land Five, Oct. 29. This rejection comes with no explanation. The judicial appeal process ends here, but the struggle to free the Holy Land Five continues.

In anticipation of the Supreme Court decision, there was a Holy Land Five national day of action on Oct. 25. Solidarity protests involving hundreds raised awareness in Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Tampa, Gainesville, San Jose, Salt Lake City, Albany and Dallas. New York City saw 75 people picket and conduct a successful press conference.

In New York City today, Noor Elashi is dealing with her own personal storm. Noor Elashi’s father, Ghassan Elashi, is one of the imprisoned Holy Land Five. She was hopeful the Supreme Court would at least consider her father’s case. Noor Elashi expressed, “We now know that the courts will not even consider justice. We need to be more determined than ever to move forward and organize people to demand the Holy Land Five’s freedom.”

Tom Burke of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression explains, “The U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to look at these issues is an abomination. By not considering an appeal, the Court shows how highly political and unfair the U.S. judicial system is, from top to bottom. People throughout the Middle East understand the Holy Land Five are being punished for giving humanitarian aid to Palestinians. Well Americans can see it too. Just as we organized a massive anti-war movement against the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq, and continue to call for U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, we will organize a movement to win justice for the Holy Land Five. We are organizing to end anti-Arab racism and anti-Muslim bigotry. We raise our voices to say, ‘Free the Holy Land Five!’”

Ghassan Elashi was a director of the largest Muslim charity in the country. The Holy Land Foundation raised funds and provided food, medical care, shelter and education to countless people in need, both in Palestine and the U.S. Instead of being honored for their humanitarianism by the U.S. government, the Holy Land Five were charged under the Bush administration with ‘material support for terrorism.’ Their first trial in Dallas, Texas ended in a hung jury. Jurors were not convinced of links between the health clinics and schools that received donations on the one hand, and the Palestinian Hamas movement that the U.S. government now opposes and criminalizes.

The U.S. government, not satisfied with the hung jury from the first Holy Land Five trial, brought in Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas to conduct the second trial. Jonas won convictions by using secret witnesses never identified to the defense, hearsay evidence and a shock video showing protesters in Palestine burning an American flag. This prejudiced the jurors. The Holy Land Five are imprisoned with sentences ranging from 15 to 65 years. Held in Communication Management Units, which are specially designated punishment prisons for Muslims and Arab-Americans, the conditions violate the prisoners’ human rights.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas is now in Chicago conducting the ongoing investigation of 23 Midwest anti-war and international solidarity activists, including Hatem Abudayyeh. Jonas is a pro-Israel ideologue, politically motivated and willing to trample on people’s rights.

For more information see www.Freedomtogive.com and www.StopFBI.net

#WashingtonDC #HolyLandFoundation #HolyLandFive #PoliticalPrisoners

“We only got positive feedback. Most of the people who knew about the Holy Land Five were from the nationalities their persecution was intended to send a message to. Some drivers yelled out support for Palestine,” said Walt Byars, an organizer with Students for a Democratic Society.

A storm threatened to wash out the event, but the protesters remained at their place. Upon arriving, a police officer attempted to disperse the group. Despite these turns of events, the support from passing drivers and the interest from the local media kept the event running. The Supreme Court is expected to decide whether or not they will hear the Holy Land Five’s final appeal later this month. In the current climate of repression from the government, it is important for events like this to continue, as a way of showing the 1% that the 99% will not remain silent.

“Today we showed solidarity with not only the Holy Land Five, but all Palestinians struggling to escape discrimination, persecution and national oppression. Having a nationwide showing of resistance and solidarity helps maximize the struggle here and overseas,” said Matt Hastings, also with SDS.

#TampaFL #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #Palestine #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #HolyLandFoundation #HolyLandFive #PoliticalPrisoners

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

The protest is part of an October 25 national day of action called by the Holy Land Five/Freedom to Give group and the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. Their statement explains, “The Holy Land 5 need our urgent solidarity. The U.S. Supreme Court will decide in late October whether their final appeal will even be heard. The Holy Land 5 are five Muslim charity leaders wrongly imprisoned due to U.S. government political repression. They are being punished for publicly sending charity to Palestinians, at a time when U.S. domination is being challenged in the Middle East.”

Noor Elashi, whose father, Ghassan Elashi, is now imprisoned, is speaking out, “I am heartened by the solidarity of those who are standing by my father during this critical time. I hope to see this momentum keep building until the Holy Land 5 are exonerated.”

Tom Burke of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression explains, “The first Holy Land trial ended in a hung jury. The second trial used secret witnesses never identified to the defense, hearsay evidence, and a ‘shock video’ showing protesters in Palestine burning an American flag. This contributed to prejudicing the jurors. It is completely outrageous the five Muslim charity leaders were sentenced to between 15 and 65 years!”

The protests will raise public awareness about this injustice. This case is of critical importance and protesters will stand together with the anti-war movement to say, “Solidarity with Palestine is not a crime.”

For more information go to: stopfbi.net and freedomtogive.com.

#UnitedStates #Palestine #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #HolyLandFoundation #HolyLandFive #GhassanElashi #PoliticalPrisoners

Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas are aiming to indict the activists on ‘material support for terrorism’ charges. Jonas, well known for his outrageous prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation, recently confirmed the ongoing investigation of the anti-war activists.

In 2010, the FBI raided the homes of anti-war, trade union and international solidarity activists. 23 were subpoenaed to a grand jury headed by Patrick Fitzgerald. As a part of the same investigation, the FBI orchestrated a raid on the home of veteran Chicano leader Carlos Montes in May, 2011.

Montes, who is facing up to 18 years of prison on trumped up charges, will be in Los Angeles Superior Court March 2, for a discovery hearing that seeks more information about the role of the FBI in his prosecution.

#ChicagoIL #September24FBIRaids #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #HolyLandFoundation #AssistantUSAttorneyBarryJonas #ChicagoUSAttorneyPatrickFitzgerald

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

Minneapolis, MN – Billed as a report back from the first national conference of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR), more than 50 people gathered for here Dec. 15 for an exciting event that featured veteran Chicano activist Carlos Montes, a moving message from Noor Elashi and an important speech by anti-war leader Jess Sundin.

Carlos Montes, who spoke to the meeting via Skype from Los Angeles, related how the FBI orchestrated a raid on his home. He talked about his work organizing the massive march on the 2008 Republican National Convention and his encounter with the undercover law enforcement agent “Karen Sullivan,” whose lies led to FBI raids and grand jury subpoenas for anti-war and international solidarity activists.

Montes, who faces up to 18 years in prison on false charges that claim he violated state firearm laws, said that he took heart from the solidarity that he has received from across the country.

Noor Elashi sent a message to the meeting about her father Ghassan Elashi, who is one of the Holy Land Five. The Holy Land Foundation was one of the largest Muslim charities in the U.S. After a series of outrageously unjust court actions, her father is serving a 65-year sentence.

Speech by Jess Sundin

Jess Sundin, a member of the Twin Cites based Anti-War Committee and whose home was raided by the FBI stated in part,

“It has been almost 15 months since the FBI ransacked our homes and the AWC office, searching for evidence to charge us with material support to FTOs [Foreign Terrorist Organizations]. The Committee to Stop FBI Repression was organized to build a defense around those whose homes were raided last September and those who refused to testify before a grand jury investigating us. Last May, we took up the defense of Carlos Montes, who is fighting six felony charges that were concocted by the same FBI agents who are after us.”

Speaking of the need to push back around other cases of government repression, Sundin stated:

“When this all began, I did not understand how long we would be waiting. In the Holy Land case, their office was raided in December 2001, the indictments came in June 2004, and the convictions came in November 2008, after a hung jury in a trial in 2007. Amina Ali and Hawo Hassan, the two Somali women who were just convicted here in Minnesota, had a long wait too. Their homes were raided in July 2009, and they weren’t indicted until August 2010. They were being spied on even after the raids on their homes, with wiretapped phone calls. It seems likely that this is true for us too.

“Ours is not just a Minnesota case – according to documents the FBI mistakenly left behind after raiding Mick’s apartment, six FBI offices in states across the country are involved. We know that prosecutors in both Illinois and Minnesota have a hand in this case. Our case is complicated, so I guess this means they’ll take all the time they can to piece together a case against us. They have called in some high-powered help: We learned at our conference that the prosecutor who went after the Holy Land directors has moved to Chicago and now he is working on our case.

“Supporting Noor’s father is the right thing to do – he was a good man doing good work. I believe the same for Amina Ali and Hawo Hassan. None of them should be facing prison sentences for sending aid to homelands ravaged by U.S. policies of war and militarism. At the same time, learning about their cases can help us in our own defense. I learned from the Somali women’s case that the government is willing to go the distance for a mere $8600. No doubt millions were spent to investigate and prosecute them. Before their case, I thought, gee, could the proceeds of my daughter’s lemonade stand for the Palestinian daycares really get us into trouble? Now I wonder.

“The government is not really targeting people for a few dollars sent abroad. They are targeting us for our ideas. It is not a crime to be a Palestinian or a Muslim, any more than it is a crime to be an anti-war activist or a socialist. But in all these cases, our ideas have brought us into conflict with the U.S. imperialist agenda. The government wants to prosecute us for our thoughts, thought crimes. None of this should make me, or Ghassan Elashi or Carlos Montes, or any of us a criminal.”

#MinneapolisMN #InJusticeSystem #ChicanoLatino #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #JessSundin #CarlosMontes #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #MinnesotaCommitteeToStopFBIRepression #NoorElashi #HolyLandFoundation #HolyLandFive #PoliticalRepression