Prison Guard Threatens Dr. Al-Arian's Life
April 13, 2007

TAMPA-- For nearly three days this week, the whereabouts of Dr. Sami Al-Arian were unknown. He was last seen by family members last Sunday at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, NC, where he was steadily recovering from the effects of a 60-day hunger strike in which he lost 55 pounds, more than 25 percent of his bodyweight.

Dr. Al-Arian embarked on the hunger strike to protest the Justice Department's violation of a plea agreement that would have seen him released today, Friday April 13, 2007. Instead, he spent the days leading up to his original release date in a harrowing ordeal that saw him transferred from Butner to the Alexandria Detention Center in northern Virginia. During the course of the trip, Dr. Al-Arian spent nearly two days at a temporary facility in Petersburg, Virginia, where he was subjected to some of the worst verbal and physical abuses by prison officials in the course of his four-year imprisonment.

Dr. Al-Arian arrived in Petersburg on Tuesday April 10 at 5 PM. Upon his arrival, Dr. Al-Arian's undergarments were confiscated and he was instead given old, worn out undergarments with holes in them. He was placed in a tiny, freezing cold cell with pools of water on the ground. Though the vent released extremely cold air, he was given no additional blankets or extra clothing and no cleaning supplies to clean the dirty cell. Since there were no windows in the cell, he could not tell the time of day or the direction to perform his Muslim prayer.

Moreover, the guards at the federal facility in Petersburg illegally seized Dr. Al-Arian's legal documents and then proceeded to "misplace" them. They have yet to be found or returned. Following a 30-hour stay in the deplorable cell, Dr. Al-Arian was taken to be transported to northern Virginia at 4:30 AM on Thursday, during which time he was subjected to the most abusive conduct on the part of at least two officials with the Bureau of Prisons.

A Correctional Officer who was strip-searching Dr. Al-Arian asked him "Where are you from? Afghanistan?" Dr. Al-Arian refused to answer the question. The guard repeated the question several times, before saying:

"It doesn't matter where you're from. If I had my way, you wouldn't be in prison. I'd put a bullet in your head and get it done with. You're nothing but a piece of s***."

Dr. Al-Arian responded: "Why do you say that? You don't know me." The guard replied: "I know enough about all you guys. You're all pieces of s***. You can go pray to the f*** that you pray to."

He then unleashed a stream of obscenities at Dr. Al-Arian, repeatedly telling him to "Shut the f*** up." Dr. Al-Arian then told him, "If you were brave enough, you would tell me what your name so I can report you."

The guard then walked away hurling more obscenities. The guard who engaged in this verbal abuse refused to give Dr. Al-Arian his name. He is white, over-weight, 6 foot 2 inches tall with green eyes, a goatee and is balding.

This is not the first time the guard in question has harassed Dr. Al-Arian. In January, when Dr. Al-Arian was in Petersburg when beingtransferred to Butner, the same guard told him: "You're a terrorist. I can tell by your name."

The lieutenant in charge heard the exchange, took Dr. Al-Arian to the side and proceeded to squeeze his right arm and right leg with handcuffs and leg irons. Because of this, Dr. Al-Arian was completely numb for the duration of the four-hour trip to Alexandria. The lieutenant, who is white, about 6 foot tall, with green eyes, also repeatedly told Dr. Al-Arian to "Shut the f*** up" and tightened his shackles 7 times, increasing the pain each time.

Both the guard and lieutenant transferred Dr. Al-Arian to Alexandria. When Dr. Al-Arian disembarked from the van that transported him, the lieutenant repeatedly pulled the chain around Dr. Al-Arian's waist in an attempt to trip him and cause him to fall. He also shoved him against a wall when they arrived at the U.S. Marshals office in Virginia.

Dr. Al-Arian has since been at the Alexandria Detention Center. He can receive letters at the following address:

Dr. Sami Al-Arian
Alexandria Detention Center
2001 Mill Road
Alexandria, VA 22314

The Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace strongly condemns the deplorable treatment Dr. Al-Arian received at the hands of the racist prison officials. What's worse, this injustice occurred at a time when he should have been recovering from his hunger strike, not being moved and abused across states.

TBCJP demands an immediate investigation into these incidents, which disturbingly reveal a pattern of institutionalized racism in the prison system, as evidenced by the guard's supervisor, who not only sanctioned the reprehensible behavior but engaged in it as well.

ACTON:
All conscientious Americans are called upon to act to stop the abuses against Dr. Al-Arian. We request that you write letters to the following individuals:

1. Honorable Judge Gerald Lee
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
401 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314

2. U.S .Bureau of Prisons
(202) 307-3198
info@bop.gov
320 First St., NW
Washington, DC 20534

3. Warden Vanessa P. Adams
Phone: 804-504-7200
Fax: 804-504-7204

FCI PETERSBURG MEDIUM
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 90042
PETERSBURG, VA 23804
E-mail address: PEM/EXECASSISTANT@BOP.GOV2

4. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Fax Number: (202) 307-6777

5. Rep. John Conyers
2426 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5126
(202) 225-0072 Fax
John.Conyers@mail.house.gov