FBI attempts to question Chicago international solidarity activists. Don’t talk to FBI!
On November 15, three FBI agents came to the Chicago home of an international solidarity
CSFR Updates and News for the New Year 2014!
1. Call for International Women’s Day – Rasmea Odeh
2. CSFR joins protest to Close Guantanamo Bay Prison Now
3. Lynne Stewart Free At Last! Victory Is Sweet.
1. Call for International Women’s Day – Rasmea Odeh
The Committee to Stop FBI Repression is calling on groups to celebrate International Women’s Day with events highlighting “Support for Rasmea Odeh”.
Rasmea Odeh, originally from Palestine, is a 65 year-old U.S. citizen arrested in October for allegedly falsifying her immigration application because she did not report that an Israeli Military Court detained and tortured her in 1969. This is the latest political attack on an Arab-American connected to the FBI raids and political repression against the Antiwar 23 in Chicago, IL, Minneapolis, MN, and Grand Rapids, MI. Assistant US Attorney Barry Jonas who directs the “ongoing investigation” of the Antiwar 23, and also put the Holy Land Five charity leaders in prison, was coming and going from the courtroom, consulting the prosecutors the day of Rasmea Odeh’s arrest.
Rasmea Odeh is the Associate Director of the Arab American Action Network and won the “Outstanding Community Leader Award” from the Chicago Cultural Alliance in 2013 for her work with the Arab Women’s Committee and other groups. Odeh recently completed a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Governors State University. She overcame vicious torture by Israeli Military authorities while imprisoned in Palestine in the 70s, and is familiar to millions of Palestinians who have not given up organizing for their rights of liberation, equality, and return.
We are asking groups to organize events on Saturday, March 8, 2014, International Women’s Day, calling attention to “Support for Rasmea Odeh”. Rasmea Odeh is going on trial in Detroit, where she originally entered the U.S. We are campaigning for these outrageous charges to be dropped and we will be packing the courtroom in Detroit, MI.
“I support Palestine! I support women! I support Rasmea!”
2. CSFR joins protest to Close Guantanamo Bay Prison Now
CLOSE GUANTANAMO BAY NOW Saturday, January 11 2pm – 4pm
Starts at NW 36th St & NW 87th Ave
Ends at US Southern Command, 9301 NW 33rd St
Doral, FL
Protest twelve years of torture! Protest twelve years of shame!
January 11, 2014 marks an international day of action, as thousands of people across the globe protest Guantanamo Bay’s 12-year anniversary. Join us in Miami as we march on the Headquarters of United States’ Southern Command to demand the United States Close Guantanamo Bay Now!
The rally outside of SOUTHCOM will be emceed by Cassia Laham of People’s Opposition to War and Racism (POWIR) and will include speeches by:
- Nancy Mancias of CODEPINK for Peace
- Tom Burke of Committee to Stop FBI Repression
- Camilo Mejia of Veterans for Pace
- Sandy Davies of Progressive Democrats of America
- Conor Munro of Students for a Democratic Society
Artwork from internationally renowned artist, Huang, will also be utilized and displayed at the rally.
If you would like to be added as a sponsor or get involved in any way, please contact: [email protected]
Background on Guantanamo Bay Prison:
In November 2001, President George W. Bush authorized the detention of any suspected Al-Qaeda members by newly-created U.S. military commissions. “Unlawful enemy combatants” are tortured and illegally detained in U.S. prison cells at Guantanamo Bay.
779 men have been sent to Guantanamo Bay without trial and jailed without ever being officially charged with any crime. As of November 2013, over 160 prisoners remain locked up; most are detained for over seven years.
SOUTHCOM is a location of international significance, as it is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands set up by the U.S. Department of Defense. It is the command station for Guantanamo Bay and maintains control over Joint Task Force Guantanamo. Its sphere of influence spans from the Caribbean to Central and South America. From its headquarters in Doral, SOUTHCOM has directed multiple destabilization efforts and military ventures in Latin America and it maintains control over Joint Task Force Guantanamo.
In December 2013, the General responsible for opening the prison wrote a column calling for its immediate closure. US Marine Major General Michael Lehnert called the whole strategy wrong and a huge mistake that involved the senseless torture and detainment of men accused of no crime and with little or no new information to offer. Meanwhile, the Senate is set to vote on the National Defense Authorization Act that would ease restrictions on transferring detainees from Guantanamo Bay to other countries. This bill is not a solution but a small and important first step in the direction of finally closing the prison down and ending the torture of its prisoners. Now is the time for anti-war protesters to force the U.S. to close the torture prison at Guantanamo!
3. Lynne Stewart Free At Last! Victory Is Sweet.
Antiwar Leader Hails Release of Lynne Stewart
Minneapolis, MN – Jess Sundin, a spokesperson of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression and an anti-war leader, hailed the Dec. 31 release of jailed attorney Lynne Stewart. Sundin stated, “People’s attorney, Lynne Stewart, is a hero who was imprisoned for doing the right thing. She has always stood up for the oppressed and this is why people around the world have been speaking up to demand her freedom. After countless letters, phone calls and protests, we are overjoyed that Lynne’s freedom has finally been won. I am so happy she’s finally home with her family today. May this be the first of many freedoms in 2014.”
Stewart had been serving a ten-year sentence on bogus ‘material support for terrorism’ charges. U.S. District Judge John Koeltl ordered her let go on the grounds of “compassionate release.” The release order, signed by Judge Koeltl, states that Stewart has less than 18 months to live.
From Fight Back! News
See Lynnn Stewart’s site for more information and to donate.