Dec. 7, 2004

Dr. Al-Arian Moved to Coleman Today

Tampa-- Sadly, today Dr. Sami Al-Arian and Sameeh Hammoudeh were moved from Orient Road jail (a local facility near their family in Tampa) to the maximum security wing of Coleman Federal Penitentiary, 75 miles away.

The conditions at Coleman, where Dr. Al-Arian and Hammoudeh are not allowed to telephone their families, are in stark contrast to Orient Road, where pretrial detainees are typically held. Visits at Coleman are also less frequent, and contact with attorneys is severely limited.

For more information on conditions of confinement, please visit the website below, which works only on Internet Explorer 6 or higher: http://www.freesamialarian.com/conditions.htm

The fact that Dr. Al-Arian and Hammoudeh are held in a federal penitentiary, where they are the only pre-trial detainees is an outrage. The government has offered no justification for this
unnecessary move. Moving the men to the horrific conditions of Coleman is psychologically and physically abusive; it will undoubtedly affect their mental state, trial preparation, and right
to a fair trial.

Please continue send letters to Judge McCoun about Dr. Al-Arian's and Mr. Hammoudeh's horrific conditions of detention: sonya_cohn@flmd.uscourts.gov or mail them to:

The Honorable Thomas B. McCoun III
Sam M. Gibbons U.S. Courthouse
801 N. Florida Avenue #223
Tampa, FL 33602

Please send a copy (BCC) to: tampabayjustice@yahoo.com

--End--