Palestinian-American activist Rasmea Odeh due in Detroit court for another status hearing

For Immediate Release: Rasmea Defense Committee

October 20, 2014

Press Contact: Hatem Abudayyeh, 773-301-4108, [email protected]

Judge to hear testimony from top torture expert and allow partial sequestration of jury at trial; also rules that prosecution must prove “specific intent” 

WHEN: Tuesday, October 21st, at 10 AM Eastern Standard Time for support rally and Rasmea Defense Committee press availability.  Hearing begins at 11 AM EST. Press conference with defense attorneys after the hearing.

WHERE: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan; 231 W. Lafayette Blvd., in Detroit, Michigan

On Tuesday, October 21st, Judge Gershwin Drain will hear testimony from Dr. Mary Fabri, a Clinical Psychologist and former Director of Torture Treatment Services at the world renowned Kovler Center in Chicago.  She has provided consultation and training internationally on the impact of cultural issues, torture, and secondary traumatization, and will discuss the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on Rasmea Odeh, the prominent Palestinian-American community leader from Chicago who was indicted for alleged immigration fraud almost exactly a year ago.

The 11 AM hearing will be preceded by a rally with supporters from around the country at 10 AM in front of the courthouse.

The Department of Homeland Security arrested Ms. Odeh on October 22, 2013, and charged her with Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization, for allegedly failing to disclose, in her 2004 application for U.S. citizenship, that she was arrested in Palestine in 1969 and tried in an Israeli military court that convicts 99.74% of Palestinians who come before it.

Ms. Odeh’s conviction in 1969 was based on a confession that was forced in the wake of vicious physical and sexual torture by the Israelis.  Defense attorneys Michael Deutsch and Jim Fennerty contend that Odeh suffers from PTSD because of this torture, which caused her to suppress the horrible recollection of the arrest when she filled out her naturalization application in 2004.  Fabri will testify to this fact, and Judge Drain will then rule if she can be a witness at trial, which begins on November 4th.

Prosecutors will also ask the judge to reconsider an important ruling that he made after the last status hearing on October 2nd.  As reported by Josh Gerstein of Politico, the judge dealt prosecutors a “serious blow last week, when [he] ruled that, to win a conviction, the government would need to show not only that Odeh knowingly lied on her naturalization application but that she made the false statements ‘with the purpose of procuring naturalization unlawfully.'”

This legal concept of “specific intent” is important, and Deutsch adds, “We have said all along that the government has to prove that for the purpose of procuring her citizenship she intentionally lied. … It’s the first step in terms of getting our defense before a jury.”

Recently, a legal attack from the prosecution caused Judge Drain to rule that the jury will be partially sequestered during the trial, but Hatem Abudayyeh, spokesperson for the Rasmea Defense Committee, says, “Rasmea has done nothing wrong.  We have been saying this for almost a year, and even though the U.S. Attorney’s office and the government are trying to keep us from publicly showing our support, we will fill the courtroom on October 21st, and continue to rally to demand that the charges be dropped.”

The national Rasmea Defense Committee includes United States Palestinian Community Network, Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR), Coalition to Protect People’s Rights (CPPR), 8th Day Center for Justice, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)-Chicago, American Muslims for Palestine, Anti-War Committee (AWC)-Chicago, AWC-Minneapolis, Arab Jewish Partnership for Peace and Justice in the Middle East, Arab Resource and Organizing Center, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Committee Against Political Repression, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)-Chicago, CAIR-Michigan, Friends of Sabeel-North America, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, International League of Peoples’ Struggle-U.S., Jewish Voice for Peace, Lifta Society, Middle East Crisis Committee (CT), National Boricua Human Rights Network, National Lawyers Guild (NLG), National Students for Justice in Palestine, Palestine Solidarity Group-Chicago, Palestine Solidarity Legal Support, Palestinian Youth Movement-USA Branch, St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, United African Organization, United National Antiwar Coalition, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, Voces de la Frontera, Women Against Military Madness, and Z Collective.