The court in the United States justified Professor Jihad

The court of Tampa in the American state of Florida, at a meeting on Tuesday, justified the former professor of the University of South Florida al-Arian himself on the key point of accusation: the provision of support for the Palestinian terrorist organization "Islamic jihad".

Al-Aryan, whom the American media called the "Professor of Jihad", was justified by 8 out of 17 points of the prosecution. At the remaining 9 points, the jury "came to a dead end", reports AP .

The decision of the American court was made the day after the attack in the Israeli city of Netanya, the responsibility for which was assumed by the Islamic Jihad.

Other accused in this case, activists of the Muslim community of the city of Tampa Hamude and Hasan Zayed Ballat are justified by all points of the prosecution. Another accused Hatim Naji Fariz was recognized as innocent at 24 points, 8 jury has not yet made a decision.

The first reaction of the American media: the case of "Professor Jihad" collapsed, the FBI and the prosecutor’s office once again proved their inability to bring to the logical completion of high -profile processes regarding the support of terrorist activities.

The case of "Professor Jihad"

Al-Aryan himself was arrested in February 2003 in Chicago FBI agents on suspicion of ties with terrorist organizations.

After the attack on September 11, 2001, the Palestinian professor was removed from work at the University of South Florida and sent to forced unlimited leave without saving wages. He was charged with extremist and anti -Jewish statements.

He later said that this was a form of protest against Israel of the Palestinian territories. Al-Aryan himself categorically denies any ties with terrorist groups and organizations.

As the US General Prosecutor John Eshcroft curled then, Al-Aryan himself was a senior representative of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. According to Ashcroft, Professor Al-Aryan is associated with the shares of self-assassin terrorists in Israel in 1995, including the murder of two American citizens. He, according to the head of American justice, was the chief leader of the financial activity of the terrorist group. Ashcroft emphasized that between terrorists and people who assist terror, "there is no difference."

In total, the American authorities then charged eight people in support and financing of the Palestinian extremist organization "Islamic Jihad", but only four accused were arrested. Four more live abroad and so far remain free (in the UK, Lebanon, Syria and in the gas sector).

The lawyers themselves al -Arians - William Moffitt and Linda Moro - demanded the transfer of court hearings outside Florida, stating that local society was prejudice against their client, which would not allow justice to happen. At the same time, the defenders indicated that according to the results of preliminary survey - precisely because of the deliberate prejudice against Muslims and Arabs, in general, 155 out of 328 candidates for jurors in this case were eliminated. However, in the request for the transfer of the court outside the state of Florida, the lawyers of the accused were denied. On May 16, the jury was approved.

Al-Arian lawyers also noted that the local press and many political leaders, even before the court decision, considered their client guilty. So, The Tampa Tribune newspaper 10 years ago published articles, which contained the "compromising" on al-Arians. These articles were actively quoted by the media during the investigation, before the court called the former professor "Sponsor of Terror."

More recently, in the struggle for a place in the US Senate, both local candidates - the Republican Mel Martinez and Democrat Betty Castor - very negatively mentioned the name of al -Arians. Batti Castor was president of the University of South Florida in 2003, when Al-Aryan himself was fired from the teaching position after the start of the investigation of his "charitable" activity. In her election campaign, she used, in particular, the poster of the 2000, which depicts nearby president-republican George Bush and Al-Arian himself.

According to Moffitt’s lawyer, “people simply do not see the difference between the struggle for the independence of Palestine and other events in the Middle East, connecting them with the tragedy of September 11 ... Almost every Arab, a native of the Middle East, are ready to accuse of involvement by September 11.” The lawyers of other suspects share the "prejudice" against al-Arians. So, for example, representatives of the defense of Hatim Naji Fariza tried to ensure that the case of their client was considered separately, since the “bad glory of al-Arian” could influence the decision of the jury.

Al-Aryan himself and his assistants used the Academic Center and Palestinian Charity (Palestinian mercy) to raise funds that were transferred to the Islamic jihad. If their guilt is found, they are threatened with lifelong terms.

The investigation, which lasted almost four years, checked the financial documents of Palestinian Charity. The results of this audit led to the freezing of the accounts of this organization. According to MIGNEWS , a further investigation, in which the US special services were involved, showed that part of the funds raised by Professor Al-Arian was aimed to finance the activities of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The connection of the Florida branch of Palestinian Charity with other organizations around the world (in particular, in the UK, France, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran) was also established.