Reno Blocks Palestinian's Release
B R A D E N T O N, Fla., Dec. 12, 2000 -- Attorney General Janet Reno today blocked the release of a Palestinian man jailed for three yearswithout charges, federal officials said.
The government maintains that Mazen Al-Najjar, 43, had links toMideast terrorists and was a threat to national security. Al-Najjardenied the allegations. Not even his lawyers have ever seen theevidence against him.
Reno blocked Al-Najjar’s release until 5 p.m. ET Friday, saying inan order given to lawyers in the case that she wanted to“personally review the appropriateness” of allowing his immediaterelease.
Disappointed SupportersWhen the news of the delay reached the family, Al-Najjar’s wife,Fedaa, and his sister, Nahla Al-Arian, sat down stunned on thesteps of the Manatee County Detention Center.
“I’m disappointed. It hurts,” said Al-Najjar’s 12-year-olddaughter, Yara, who waited outside the center with her family andabout 50 supporters.
Last week, U.S. Immigration Judge R. Kevin McHugh orderedAl-Najjar’s release on $8,000 bail, saying the government failed togive him enough information to defend himself. McHugh had viewedthe classified evidence in chambers. The Board of ImmigrationAppeal then held up the release, but the board lifted its own orderMonday.
The case has been championed by lawyers, civil rights groups andmembers of Congress who say Al-Najjar’s detention without chargesand on the basis of evidence he cannot see is unconstitutional.
Attorneys received a phone call telling them of Reno’s actionjust moments before Al-Najjar was to have been released, said Rep.David Bonior, D-Mich.
Bonior last week called for Reno’s resignation because ofAl-Najjar’s case and that of Anwar Haddam, who has been held onsecret evidence for four years in Fredericksburg, Va.
Unconstitutional ImprisonmentHaddam was released from jail provisionally last Thursday. TheBoard of Immigration Appeals granted him political asylum, but theINS referred the case to Reno, asking her to overturn the ruling.Reno instead stayed the grant of asylum for 45 days to give hertime to study the case and hear briefings from both sides.
The INS agreed to let Haddam out of jail on temporary parolewith conditions limiting his movements to the Washington, D.C.,area.
Al-Najjar and Haddam are among about 20 immigrants, mostly Arabsliving in America, who have been held in U.S. jails withoutcriminal charges on the basis of classified evidence.
Al-Najjar, who was raised in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, has been inthe United States since 1981. His student visa expired years agoand the INS contends he has been living illegally in this country.He is married and has three American-born daughters.
He and his brother-in-law were associated with the World andIslam Studies Enterprise, an academic think tank affiliated withthe University of South Florida, and the Islamic Committee forPalestine, a group that said its mission was fostering betterunderstanding of Muslim issues.
The federal government maintained the Florida organizationsfronted for the Islamic Jihad, which has claimed responsibility forterrorist bombings in the Middle East.
Al-Najjar has denied any ties to terrorists.