Is a Fair Trial Possible for Sami Al-Arian?
October 6, 2003

After a brief "vacation" at the Orient Road Jail in Tampa (where he
was allowed to see some of the evidence), Sami Al-Arian has been
moved back to the federal prison at Coleman, Florida.

Coleman is not designed to hold pretrial detainees. All the
prisoners except Sami Al-Arian and co-defendant Sameeh Hammoudeh
have been convicted of serious crimes. Al-Arian and Hammoudeh are
held in the maximum security wing along with the most serious
offenders and people with psychological problems. Normally,
prisoners are there for a maximum of a few weeks, but Al-Arian and
Hammoudeh have already been there for SIX months.

Although they have not yet been tried, Al-Arian and Hammoudeh have
fewer privileges than the other prisoners. For example, the other
prisoners can have contact visits with their families, but Dr.
Al-Arian cannot. His children can no longer hug their father.

The other prisoners can have visitors, but Dr. Al-Arian is only
allowed to see his wife and children. His brother, friends, and
clergy are not allowed to visit him. A lawyer who came from
Washington to talk to him was not allowed to see him. Even the
lawyer who has been consulting on his case has difficulty seeing
him, and is now not allowed contact visits with him.

Dr. Al-Arian is not allowed to make phone calls to his family, and
he was told that he is not allowed to make phone calls to his lawyer
until prison officials get permission from Atlanta.

This kind of treatment does not make any sense. It is extremely
punitive for someone who will not even go to trial until 2005. He
can not possibly prepare a defense from the Coleman federal prison.
Indeed, it will be very difficult for him to even maintain his
sanity.

Given the international attention this case is receiving, it is very
important that Dr. Al-Arian receive a fair trial. However, under
these conditions, this cannot possibly happen. Please write to:

The Honorable Thomas B. McCoun III
Sam M. Gibbons U.S. Courthouse
801 N. Florida Ave., #223
Tampa, Florida 33602-3800
(E-mail messages can be sent to his attention at )

The Honorable James Moody
Sam M. Gibbons U.S. Courthouse
801 N. Florida Ave.
Tampa, FL 33602-3800

Ask that Dr. Al-Arian be moved to the Orient Road jail or released.

If you would like to contribute to Dr. Al-Arian's legal defense fund:
National Liberty Fund (NLF)
P.O. Box 3568
Alexandria, VA 22304

Other places you might write to express your desire for a fair trial
are:

Sen. Bob Graham (FL)
101 E. Kennedy Blvd., Ste. 3270
Tampa, FL 33602
813-228-2476 or 202-224-3041 (Washington)

Sen. Bill Nelson (FL)
801 N. Florida Ave., 4th Floor
Tampa, FL 33602
813-225-7040 or 202-224-5274

St. Petersburg Times-Tampa Edition
1000 N. Ashley Drive
Tampa, FL 33602

Tampa Tribune
202 S. Parker St.
Tampa. FL 33606