November 17, 2006
St. Petersburg Times

Al-Arian gets more prison time

By Meg Laughlin

Sami Al-Arian, who has 174 days left on a 57-month sentence for aiding
a terrorist group with nonviolent activities, was found guilty of
contempt in federal court in Alexandria, Va., on Thursday.

His sentence will now be put on hold while he serves up to 18 months
for the contempt charge. He will then serve the remaining 174 days.

Al-Arian and his attorneys said his subpoena to testify before a grand
jury in the Eastern District of Virginia violated his plea agreement.
But James S. Moody, a Tampa federal judge, ruled last week that the
written plea agreement did not give him immunity from testifying
before a grand jury in Virginia, despite oral negotiations to the
contrary.

But Al-Arian refused to answer questions about a Virginia Islamic
think tank when questioned several weeks ago in Alexandria by
assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg. After that, he was brought up
on contempt charges and found guilty Thursday.

Al-Arian's status will be reviewed every six months, for up to 18
months. Then, when the contempt sentence is completed, he will serve
the remaining 174-day sentence for the terrorism charge and be deported.

According to his plea agreement, Al-Arian was due to be released from
prison and deported in April. But, now, he could be imprisoned until
November 2008.