[act-ma] ACTION ALERT: Dr. Al-Arian Faces Shocking Abuse in New Facility - call, sign petition

[pf soto]

[what a gawd-forsaken country this is; folks, are you willing to let 
your  govt torture to death a beautiful human being - even tho he had 
the audacity to speak for justice? express your outrage;
forward far and wide, to every corner of the earth]

<http://www.freesamialarian.com/pet.php>Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice 
and Peace
April 16, 2008

*Take Action: call 757-488-7500
*And if you haven't already,* sign the petition: 
http://www.freesamialarian.com/pet.php

**Dr. Al-Arian Faces Shocking Abuse in New Facility*

Yesterday morning, Dr. Sami Al-Arian was transported by immigration 
agents to the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth, Virginia. Since 
arriving at the facility, he has been subjected to numerous, shocking 
abuses, even worse than those he experienced at a detention center in 
Maryland.

When Dr. Al-Arian arrived at Hampton Roads Jail, he was initially placed 
in the general population and given a standard green uniform. Hours 
later, however, he was placed in segregation unit. Officials told him 
that he was placed on suicide watch because he was not eating. Dr. 
Al-Arian is on the 45th day of a hunger strike to protest the 
government's refusal to honor its agreement and release him.

After placing him on suicide watch, prison guards confiscated all of Dr. 
Al-Arian's belongings. His clothing, including undergarments, were taken 
away, and he was given only a thin hospital gown to wear in the cold 
prison. Although Dr. Al-Arian suffers from weak eyesight, his eyeglasses 
were also taken away. His cell contains no bed sheets, blankets or 
pillows, only a hard metal bed frame beneath a one-inch mattress. 
Furthermore, guards took his drinking cup needed to drink water, which 
is critical during his hunger strike. Further, Dr. Al-Arian was also 
told that he would only be given one telephone call every 15 days, and 
that he would not be allowed any attorney calls. Even if he were to be 
given regular calls, a single call from Hampton Roads Regional Jail 
costs $25.

When Dr. Al-Arian was removed from his cell, he was handcuffed behind 
his back and held by two guards en route to the medical examination. 
There, he was examined briefly, not by a doctor, but by a first-year 
medical student.

Prior to his transfer, Dr. Al-Arian was promised by immigration 
officials that he would not be subjected to more humiliating and abusive 
treatment at the new facility. These horrendous conditions reflect a 
gross negligence on the part of the authorities at the Hampton Roads 
Regional Jail and a deliberate attempt to break Dr. Al-Arian's will 
through this cruel and punitive treatment. By subjecting him to these 
continuous abuses, they have attacked his basic dignity and jeopardized 
his health to an alarming degree.
*
TAKE ACTION:*

All concerned citizens are requested to contact Hampton Roads Regional 
Jail and call for Dr. Al-Arian to be treated humanely, and given 
adequate medical attention. The authorities should be requested to 
uphold their basic protocol regarding detainees, and not subject Dr. 
Al-Arian to any punitive treatment. We know that they take these 
telephone calls very seriously, though they may appear dismissive and at 
times hostile. The number is: *757-488-7500*.


-- 
pf soto
rule19.org <http://rule19.org>
UPandOUT.org <http://upandout.org>
AZAPOI.org <http://azapoi.org>


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