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Rasmea Odeh Status Hearing Happening in Detroit July 31
The US Palestinian Community Network, Committee to Stop FBI Repression, and many others invite everyone on July 31 in Detroit, MI for a status hearing for Palestinian-American activist Rasmea Odeh, who is fighting spurious immigration-related charges. Anyone interested is urged to fill the courtroom or outside with banners, posters, and flags to show the judge, the prosecutors, and the whole world that Rasmea has broad and unqualified support.
The hearing will take place at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan at 231 W. Lafayette Blvd. in Detroit. While spectators and people in support of Rasmea are expected to be at the courthouse at 1:00PM, the hearing will begin at 2:00PM.
Transport cars from Chicago will leave at 6:30 AM CDT. The contact person for a spot in these car or other carpooling options is Joe Isobaker of CSFR at joeiosbaker@gmail.com.
If you are unable to make the hearing, calls can be made to the persons below to demand the charges be dropped:
Jonathan Tukel in Detroit at 313-226-9749, Chief of National Security Unit, U.S. Attorney’s office, Eastern District of Michigan.
Barbara McQuade at 313-226-9100 or, 313-226-9501 (voicemail), U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The suggested statement, according to the organizers of this event is, “Hello, my name is ________, and I am calling from _________ to demand that U.S. Attorney McQuade drop the charges against Rasmea Odeh.”
On October 22nd, 2013, Rasmea, 67, was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security and charged with Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization for allegedly failing to disclose that she had been imprisoned by Israel over 45 years ago.
In 1969, Israel brutally tortured Rasmea, her father, and her fiancé, eventually extracting from her a “confession” to a crime which she did not commit. The Obama administration has dusted off her ten-year-old application to become a U.S. citizen and charged her for allegedly omitting mention of her time in Israeli prison, despite the fact that Rasmea publicly testified at the United Nation about the torture she suffered while imprisoned. Like so many other victims of political repression in this country, especially African Americans; Puerto Ricans; Mexicans, Latinos, and other immigrants; Arabs and Muslims; and peace activists; she has committed no crime, and is only under attack because she is a Palestinian icon, known worldwide as a leading representative of the legitimate Palestinian struggle for self determination, independence, and the right of return.
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation