[Ppnews] Boston: Pack the Courtroom for Tariq: Fri. 10/30 11:00a.m.

[Political Prisoner News]

Court Date for Tariq Mehanna
Victim of Injustice and Deception

When: Friday October 30th
Where: Moakley Federal Courthouse
1 Courthouse Way, Boston MA
Time: 11:00 am

This is the first hearing, where the judge reviews the evidence and 
determines if it warrants proceeding, so it's important that we fill 
the courthouse. Let's turn out big for our brother Tariq and show 
that the community strongly opposes this injustice!

The hearing begins at 11:00 a.m. and probably won't go beyond 1:00 p.m.
REMEMBER TO BRING A PHOTO ID. LET'S KEEP THE DRESS PROFESSIONAL IN 
THE COURTHOUSE.

Free Tariq!

For more information see: <http://freetarek.com>freetarek.com

======================================================

Background:

Tariq Mehanna is a 27 year old Muslim Egyptian American born and 
raised in the United States. Highly educated, Tariq holds a doctorate 
in pharmacy from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. He is a 
devout and tolerant Muslim who is not only respected in the local 
Islamic and interfaith communities, but who also gives back to his 
Islamic community by fulfilling the roles of brother, educator, 
mentor, scholar, and friend. Tariq is described by those who know him 
well as humble, reserved, warm, peaceful, intelligent, knowledgeable, 
reflective, pragmatic, dedicated, and straightforward. He is a person 
with strong ethical values who refuses to compromise on them 
regardless of the circumstances. It is unfortunate then that this 
customarily admirable trait plays a role in his current situation.

Several years ago, the Boston FBI began to approach Tariq. They 
recognized that he was a religious Muslim who was active in the local 
Islamic community, had earned the respect of many, and was beloved to 
the youth. The FBI recognized in Tariq an individual who is 
intelligent, charismatic, influential and trusted by many in the 
local Islamic community. They decided that they wanted Tariq on their 
side, and began to approach him in an effort to recruit him as an 
informant. Their objective was to secure Tariq as a tool to 
corroborate any FBI claims or accusations against members of the 
community that might arise, at the discretion of the FBI. Of course, 
Tariq flat out refused to backstab his fellow Muslim brothers and 
sisters, a decision that did not sit well at all with the FBI.

The FBI then proceeded to repeatedly approach Tariq over the coming 
months, each time pressuring him more and more to collaborate with 
them. This pressure most often came in the form of blackmail; Tariq 
was told that unless he consented to cooperating with the FBI, they 
would continue finding new ways to disrupt his life and to deprive 
him of a sense of security. He was told outright by interrogators 
that they knew he was innocent, but that they would not be satisfied 
with his refusal to cooperate. Regardless of whether their methods 
were unethical, coercive, or failed to respect his civil rights, the 
FBI were quite fortunate in catching an opportunity to arrest Tariq 
in 2008 based on a weak accusation of issuing "false statements" to a 
federal officer. After two months of imprisonment, his 
court-appointed attorney, Jay Carney, jr., was able to negotiate a 
bail settlement of $1,250,000. Tariq was subsequently released after 
this absurdly inflated amount
was paid by his parents, who were desperate to have him return home safely.

Tariq did return home for nearly a year, living a quiet life, 
restricted by a court-ordered curfew, and monitored by FBI 
investigators. In the meantime, the case against him, based on "false 
testimony" charges, began to stagnate, and court dates were far and 
in between with no advances made by the FBI. Over time, the Mehanna 
family began to finally feel a sense of restored normalcy and 
stability in their lives. This feeling was suddenly and violently 
shattered during the fajr hours of October 21st, 2009, when FBI 
agents showed up at the Mehanna home doorstep at 5:00AM in the 
morning. Despite the lack of ANY new evidence since the prior arrest, 
the agents came with an arrest warrant. According to Dr. Ahmed 
Mehanna, Tariq's father, the agents were visibly excited and 
enthusiastic about their invasion of the Mehanna private household 
and the seizure and arrest of Tariq. The situation facing Tariq now 
is one where his second arrest means that there is no
chance for bail. Tariq is currently incarcerated at the Plymouth 
Correctional Facility, where he is expected to remain for the several 
year duration of a new trial based on outright FALSE AND LUDICROUS 
accusations of aiding and abetting terrorism. He currently faces LIFE 
IN PRISON if convicted. We must offer our greatest support and most 
dedicated effort if there is to be hope of Tariq's release. Thank you 
for taking the time to read this history, and we are confident that 
you will share our knowledge of Tariq's innocence. In addition, it is 
our sincere hope that the United States justice system uphold the 
principle "innocent until proven guilty," and for Tariq to receive a 
fair and just trial.



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
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