When: Wednesday, 19. May 2010 19.00-22.00
To: Wednesday, 19. May 2010
Where: Bergen, Rafto House
More info: www.usamotalarian.no/
After almost six years in federal custody, former University of South Florida engineering professor Sami Al-Arian set foot outside prison Tuesday afternoon. “As you can imagine, he is having a very cheerful reunion with his children,” said his attorney Jonathan Turley.
Al-Arian, 50, had been held by immigration authorities pending his trial on contempt charges for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury in Virginia. A federal judge had ordered Al-Arian released on bail in mid July, but officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement took him into custody.
The release of the former University of South Florida professor came as a surprise after ICE officials suddenly “elected to release Dr. Al-Arian” Tuesday, after a petition by his attorneys that his continued incarceration violated his constitutional rights. A federal judge had previously set Al-Arian’s bail at $340,000.
According to law, immigration officials could hold Al-Arian for 90 days before either deporting him or releasing him. But ICE had held hwim for 130 days. In agreeing to release Al-Arian, ICE did not acknowledge that it had acted improperly.
Immigration officials called Al-Arian’s attorney at noon Tuesday and told him to come to the Alexandria Detention Center to pick him up. His four children rode with their father while Turley drove them to his daughter Laila’s apartment in Washington, D.C. “There was a lot of excitement in that car,” said Turley.
