The War on Terror Continues

The Washington Post reports that a former University of South Florida professor was released from custody yesterday for the first time in more than five years, hours ahead of a judge’s deadline for the government to explain why he was still being held by immigration officials. Sami al-Arian is awaiting trial on charges of refusing to testify before a grand jury about Muslim organizations in Northern Virginia. A federal judge on several occasions has expressed skepticism about the government’s charges, and last week she ordered immigration authorities to explain by yesterday afternoon why they were continuing to hold Arian. A jury acquitted him on some charges in 2005 and was deadlocked on others. He eventually struck a plea bargain and admitted to lesser charges of conspiring to aid the Palestinian Islamic Jihad by helping a family member with links to the group get immigration benefits and by lying to a reporter about another person’s links to the organization. He was sentenced to nearly five years in prison. While he was serving that sentence, federal prosecutors in Virginia sought his testimony for a grand jury investigation. Arian refused to testify despite immunity, and prosecutors filed criminal contempt charges this year.

KJ