Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh to appeal unjust conviction

posted on: Mar 18, 2015

Federal Judge Gershwin Drain sentenced Palestinian American activist and community leader Rasmea Odeh to 18 months in prison, revoking her citizenship and imposing $1,100 in fines at a March 12 hearing in Detroit.

Odeh remains out on bond pending the outcome of an appeal of her conviction on immigration fraud charges. The Chicago resident was accused of not revealing on her Immigration and Naturalization Services application that she was tried by a military tribunal and sent to prison by the Israeli regime some 45 years ago.

The courtroom was packed with another overflow area filled as well where her supporters anxiously awaited outside the outcome of the sentencing hearing. As part of its argument for a harsh sentence, government prosecutors presented clips of a documentary on the Palestine liberation struggle during the late 1960s and early 1970s where veteran activists talked about their efforts to free Palestine.

Source: www.workers.org