Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace

I. Dr. Sami Al-Arian – Father’s Day
II. Letter: The Law is Not Bringing Justice for Dr. Al-Arian

June 20, 2004

June 20 marks the second Father’s Day Sami Al-Arian spent in solitary confinement without seeing his children because he is still in a maximum security federal prison and this was not their weekend to visit. If they had been able to visit, they would have taken turns talking to their father over a telephone and looking at him through a glass partition.

Even though he has not had a trial, June 20 marks 385 days of solitary confinement for Dr. Al-Arian. The prisoners who have been convicted of crimes have access to telephones, but Dr. Al-Arian is allowed only one phone call a month to his family. He is only allowed to call to his lawyer if the lawyer sends a fax to the prison requesting the call. It will be difficult for him to defend himself in these circumstances.

If you would like to help:

The judge who will decide about the use of secret evidence is: Honorable James Moody
Sam M. Gibbons U.S. Courthouse
801 N. Florida Ave.
Tampa, FL 33602-3800

The judge who oversees prison conditions is:
Honorable Thomas B. McCoun III
Sam M. Gibbons U.S. Courthouse
801 N. Florida Ave., #223
Tampa, Florida 33602-3800

The warden of the prison is:
Donald McKelvy, Warden,
U.S. Penitentiary,
PO Box 1023,
Coleman, FL 33521
352-689-3003; fax: 352-689-3003.

To help hire a lawyer, checks may be sent to:
National Liberty Defense Fund (NLF)
P.O. Box 3568
Washington, D.C. 20007
info@nationallibertyfund.org

If you would like to write to Dr. Al-Arian, his address is:
Sami Al-Arian
#40939-018
Coleman Federal Complex-USP
P.O.Box 1033
Coleman, FL.33521

If you would like more information about the case, go to: www.freesamialarian.com

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II. Letter: The Law is Not Bringing Justice for Dr. Al-Arian

The following was sent to Judge Thomas McCoun, with copies to Florida Senators Bob Graham and Bill Nelson and Congressmen Davis and Young, as well as the St. Petersburg Times and the Tampa Tribune.

Dear Judge McCoun:

Both international law and U.S. military law prohibit the torture and coercive measures that occurred at Abu Gharib and other U.S.-run prisons in Iraq. Yet neither prevented these crimes from taking place. Likewise, the law is not bringing humane treatment to immigrants Al-Arian and Hammoudeh.

President Bush claimed, after CBS broadcast photos of the U.S. abuse of Iraqi prisoners, “That’s not the way we do things in America.”

Actually, that’s pretty consistent with the way we do things in America. While he was Texas governor inmates were forced to strip, and grovel, and were prodded with stun guns. Amnesty International has long condemned U.S. prisons for sexual and physical abuse. A Reuter’s story in May 2004 said in part, “Horrific abuses, some similar to those revealed in Iraq, regularly occur in U.S. prisons with little national attention or public outrage.” Al-Arian and Hammoudeh are suffering humiliation, dehumanization and degradation because of the lack of oversight, accountability, and the balance between human rights and security interests.

The law is flouted whenever and wherever those in authority have the power to do so with impunity. This includes those currently holding U.S. government authority, which now denies the protections of U.S. and international laws to citizens and non-citizens being held in the name of “fighting terrorism.” The Presbyterian Church, USA’s reformed tradition has long understood that such practices are inappropriate, not only for individuals but for nations and their leaders.

The law of equal protection for all prisoners is being flouted in the case of Al-Arian and Hammoudeh because of the inhumane conditions of their incarceration at Coleman Prison. Senators Graham and Nelson and Congressman Young and Davis rely on misrepresentations from Bureau of Prison authorities.

Our authorities in Iraq ignored written complaints from the International Red Cross, Christian Peacemaker Teams and others. Do not ignore the critical report from Amnesty International and the defendant’s attorneys. Please take appropriate action.

Sincerely,
Dwight Lawton

cc: Senator Bob Graham
Senator Bill Nelson
Congressman Bill Young
Congressman Jim Davis
St. Petersburg Times
Tampa Tribune