Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
April 13, 2003

DR. AL-ARIAN DENIED BOND-
URGENT DONATIONS NEEDED FOR DR. AL-ARIAN'S LEGAL DEFENSE

Tampa--

On April 10, 2003, Judge Mark A. Pizzo of Tampa, Florida denied bail
for Dr. Sami Al-Arian. The Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
regrets Judge Pizzo's decision and would like to further stress that
Dr. Al-Arian, a U.S. resident for nearly 30 years and the father of
five U.S.-born children, is neither a flight risk nor a threat to any
community.

To the contrary, Dr. Al-Arian has long been an advocate for
preserving the civil rights of all Americans, particularly within the
context of abolishing the unconstitutional use of secret evidence in
American courtrooms.

It must be emphasized that Judge Pizzo did NOT have access to any
evidence in the government's case against Dr. Al-Arian. He based most
of his decision on an indictment that has not yet been rebutted by Al-
Arian or his attorneys.

As has been recently reported in a number of articles in the press
this past week, Judge Pizzo was informed by the government about a
significant flaw in the indictment. The government revealed that it
was mistaken when it accused Hatem Fariz of communicating with
with an Islamic Jihad affiliate. In fact, Fariz had been speaking
with someone else. This can hardly be dismissed as a simple case of
mistaken identity. It is just the beginning of a process that will
reveal weaknesses and inaccuraces in the indictment.

The Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace urges all freedom-
loving communities across the United States to stand up for Dr. Al-
Arian's right to a fair trial. We need your help and support in
obtaining legal counsel.

The time is NOW to help raise the necessary funds to take this case
to the next level. The freedom of an entire community is at stake.
Below is the information for the legal defense fund. We cannot stress
the importance of this initial contribution to begin the process of
defending Dr. Al-Arian and the liberty of all Americans.