U.S. Attorney Escalates Attacks on Civil Liberties of Anti-War, Palestinian Human Rights Activists
Call U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald first thing Monday morning! (contact info at bottom of this email)
On Friday, May 6, the U.S. government froze the bank accounts of Hatem Abudayyeh and his wife, Naima.
This unwarranted attack on a leading member of the Palestinian
community in Chicago is the latest escalation of the repression of
anti-war and Palestinian community organizers by the FBI, U.S. Attorney
Patrick Fitzgerald, and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Hatem
Abudayyeh is one of 23 activists from Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois
subpoenaed to a federal grand jury in Chicago, and his home was raided
by the FBI in September of last year. Neither Hatem Abudayyeh nor Naima
Abudayyeh have been charged with any crime.
One of the bank accounts frozen was exclusively in Naima Abudayyeh’s
name. Leaders of the national Committee to Stop FBI Repression, as well
as Chicago’s Coalition to Protect People’s Rights are appalled at the
government’s attempt to restrict the family’s access to its finances,
especially so soon before Mothers’ Day. Not only does the government’s
action seriously disrupt the lives of the Abudayyehs and their
five-year-old daughter, but it represents an
attack on Chicago’s Arab community and activist community and the fundamental rights of Americans to freedom of speech.
The persecution of the Abudayyeh family is another
example of the criminalization of Palestinians, their supporters, and their movement for justice and liberation.
There has been widespread criticism of the FBI and local law
enforcement for their racial profiling and scapegoating of Arab and
Muslim Americans. These repressive tactics include infiltration of
community centers and mosques, entrapment of young men, and the
prominent case of 11 students from the University of California campuses
at Irvine and Riverside who have been subpoenaed to a grand jury and
persecuted for disrupting a speech by Michael Oren, Israeli Ambassador
to the US. The government’s attempt to conflate the anti-war and human
rights movements with terrorism is a cynical attempt to capitalize on
the current political climate in order to silence Palestinians and other
people of conscience who exercise their First Amendment rights in a
manner which does not conform to the administration’s foreign policy
agenda in the Middle East.
The issuance of subpoenas against the 23 activists has been met with widespread opposition and criticism across the country.
Six members of the U.S. Congress, including five in the past month, have sent letters to either Holder or President Obama,
expressing grave concern for the violations of the civil liberties and
rights of the 23 activists whose freedom is on the line. Three
additional U.S. representatives have also promised letters, as thousands
of constituents and other people of conscience across the U.S. have
demanded an end to this assault on legitimate political activism and
dissent. Over 60 Minnesota state legislators also issued a resolution
condemning the subpoenas.
The Midwest activists have been expecting indictments for some time. The
freezing of the Abudayyeh family's bank accounts suggests that the
danger of indictments is imminent.
Take action Monday, May 9:
Call U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald at 312-353-5300.
Then dial 0 (zero) for the operator and ask to leave a message with the Duty Clerk.
Demand Fitzgerald
-- Unfreeze the bank accounts of the Abudayyeh family and
-- Stop repression against Palestinian, anti-war and international solidarity activists.
In solidarity,
The Committee to Stop FBI Repression and
The Coalition to Protect People’s Rights
For more info go to StopFBI.net
