Action Alert: Release Sameeh Hammoudeh!

[Please read, respond and forward]
Action Alert: Release Sameeh Hammoudeh!
For Immediate Release
May 9, 2006

Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return
Coalition, calls on its members,
supporters and all people of conscience
to demand the immediate release of
Sameeh Hammoudeh who is being held
prisoner at the Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) detention center in
Bradenton, Florida. On 6 December
2005, a jury found Sameeh, a co-
defendant in the Al-Arian case, not guilty
of all charges brought against him
by the US government. Yet, as of this
date, he is still being held prisoner by the ICE.

Sameeh has also accepted and wishes
to be deported to Ramallah, his hometown
in occupied Palestine. The ICE
maintains that his detention is due to
refusal to permit his return to
Ramallah, a claim which, according to the
St. Petersburg Times, has been
denied by the Israeli authorities.

Since there is no legal basis for
the continued detention of Sameeh
Hammoudeh, Al-Awda, The Palestine
Right to Return Coalition, is asking all
of its members, supporters and people
of conscience to write to Attorney
General Alberto Gonzales, Attorney
General of the State of Florida Charlie
Crist and Florida Governor Jeb Bush
demanding Sameeh Hammoudeh's immediate
release and his return home.

We also urge publicizing Sameeh's
imprisonment by writing op-eds and letters
to the media highlighting the injustice
he has been subjected to.

Talking Points:

* On 6 December 2005 a jury found
Sameeh Hammoudeh not guilty of all
charges brought against him.
Hence, there is no legal basis for
keeping him imprisoned by the
Immigration and Customs
Enforcement Service. He should
be released forthwith.

* Sameeh Hammoudeh wishes to
return to his home in Ramallah, Palestine. By
holding him prisoner, the ICE is
preventing him from exercising his
inalienable, natural and legal right
to return to his home.

E-MAIL, CALL and WRITE:

* Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales
E-MAIL: AskDOJ [at] usdoj.gov
PHONE: 202-514-2001 and 202-353-1555
MAIL: U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

* Florida Governor Jeb Bush
Email: jeb.bush [at] myflorida.com

* Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist
The Capitol PL-01
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
Main office telephone numbers
Switchboard: 850-414-3300
Citizens Services: 850-414-3990
Florida Relay/TDD: 800-955-8771
Florida Toll Free: 1-866-966-7226
Fax: 850-410-1630

To obtain contact information for media outlets, go to:
http://newslink.org/

Please cc your correspondence to alerts [at] al-awda.org

Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
E-mail: info [at] al-awda.org
WWW: http://al-awda.org

Memo to: All those who have the power
to free Sameeh Hammoudeh

AskDOJ [at] usdoj.gov
jeb.bush [at] myflorida.com

From: Bonnie Weinstein
Bay Area United Against War
P.O. Box 318021
San Francisco, CA 94131-8021
415-824-8730

The facts that demand the immediate release of Sameeh Hammoudeh:

-On 6 December 2005 a jury found Sameeh Hammoudeh not
guilty of all charges brought against him. Hence, there is no legal
basis for keeping him imprisoned by the Immigration and Customs
Enforcement Service. He should be released forthwith.

-Sameeh Hammoudeh wishes to return to his home in Ramallah,
Palestine. By holding him prisoner, the ICE is preventing him from
exercising his inalienable, natural and legal right to return to his home.