While the Israeli Lobby in Washington can go about their business to push for attacks on sovereign countries (the ultimate crime under international law) US authorities persecute anyone shining light on unlawful practices of the state (Kiriakou, Manning, Assange, Snowden and many more) or voicing any dissent.
The latest victim of this is 65 year old Rasmea Yousef Odeh. She faces 10 years imprisonment or deportation if convicted.
The US Palestinian Community Network writes about her:
Rasmea has dedicated her whole life to Palestine and Palestinian communities across the world, from her case management and social services work with internally displaced refugees after the 1967 Israeli occupation to her legendary status as an advocate for women’s rights and empowerment in Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and now Chicago. Her career spans close to five decades and her influence spans continents.
Early morning Tuesday, October 22nd, Rasmea was awakened at her home by a number of federal law enforcement agents, and then taken to federal court in Chicago, where she was charged with Unlawful Procurement of Naturalization for allegedly lying on immigration application questions back in 1994…..Rasmea failed to mention an arrest from over 40 years ago. That arrest was ordered by an Israeli military court, the same system that allows almost no right to due process, and today holds hundreds of Palestinians without charge, under “administrative detention,” amongst over 7,000 political prisoners, including 179 children, in total. That arrest was by an army in Palestinian territories that even the U.S. government says is illegal for Israel to militarily occupy. And that arrest led to Rasmea being subjected to years of unspeakable, inhumane, and illegal torture by Israeli prison authorities.
For further information and how to support Rasmea go to
US Palestinian Community Network
www.uspcn.org + [email protected] + Twitter @USPCN
R. Teichmann is an activist living in Ireland and editor of www.news-beacon-ireland.info
