More than two weeks after a federal judge granted Dr. Al-Arian bond, the government has stepped up its abuse of America’s high-profile prisoner of conscience.

Having already prevented Dr. Al-Arian from enjoying even this small concession of justice by placing him under 23-hour lock-down in a prison several hours away from his attorneys, prison officials have become even more brazen in their attempt to psychologically break Dr. Al-Arian by disrupting his already limited phone contact with his family and by flat-out denying his children their requests to visit their father.

Yesterday morning, Dr. Al-Arian was only allowed twenty minutes of phone time and not the full hour accorded to all other inmates. Not only that, Dr. Al-Arian was granted his phone time during the hour reserved for “high-risk” prisoners, even though Dr. Al-Arian – as a federal judge recently announced in a US court of law – is most certainly not a danger to anyone. Furthermore, Dr. Al-Arian’s phone call was constantly disrupted by heavy static and clicks which made it all but impossible for Dr. Al-Arian to communicate with his family.

Dr. Al-Arian’s family has been denied their right to visit their father since July 12th. The last prison rejected mutliple such requests, while the current prison has denied visitation for this week, claiming that Dr. Al-Arian failed to read and sign a particular booklet which he was never actually shown. Given the government’s history of mistreating Dr. Al-Arian, it is indeed difficult not to conclude that this is nothing more than an unlawful attempt to psychologically break Dr. Al-Arian before his pending trial.

Friends, stand with us in protest of this outrageous abuse by making the following two calls:

1. Vincent Archibeque, Assistant Field Office Director for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) (703 285-6221). Ask Mr. Archibeque why he is preventing Dr. Al-Arian from leaving prison before his trial despite the clear and unambiguous decision of a federal judge that Dr. Al-Arian is not a threat and should be granted bail.

2. Pamunkey Regional Jail: (804) 365-6400 (press 4 then 3001 and ask to speak to the Superintendent’s office; press 0 after regular business hours). Ask why Dr. Al-Arian has been put under a 23-hour lockdown, why his calls are being disrupted, and why his family is not allowed to visit him. For a list of false excuses the prison may offer and the response to them, please click here.

– If you do not reach the prison superintendent or Mr. Archibeque personally, leave a message on the answering machine. Call back every day until you do speak to the superintendent directly.

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