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Defense rests for Al-Arian's co-defendants

Only a handful of defense witnesses testified over three days in the terrorism trial.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published November 1, 2005

TAMPA - Defense attorneys for the co-defendants of a fired college professor accused of supporting Palestinian terrorists rested their cases Tuesday, and closing arguments were expected to begin next week.

Only a handful of defense witnesses testified over three days before attorneys representing co-defendants Sameeh Taha Hammoudeh and Hatem Naji Fariz rested Tuesday. The attorney representing co-defendant Ghassan Zayed Ballut also rested, without calling any witnesses.

On Oct. 24 Al-Arian's attorneys rested their case without calling a single witness.

Closing arguments were to begin on Monday.

Al-Arian, 47, and the three co-defendants are accused of using Palestinian educational and charitable entities in Tampa as fundraising fronts for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a State Department-listed terrorist group blamed for more than 100 deaths. They face 51 counts alleging they used charitable and educational entities to raise and launder money in support of the terror group. Defense attorneys say the men did not engage in violence, and are being persecuted for unpopular political beliefs.

Al-Arian was fired from the University of South Florida after being indicted.

Much of this week's testimony came from Taha Hammoudeh, 78, of the West Bank, the father of Sameeh Hammoudeh. He brought receipt books with him to show that the money his son had sent to him went to charitable causes and not, as prosecutors claim, to finance attacks by the terror group, which is blamed for hundreds of killings in the Middle East.

Other defense witnesses included Fariz' wife and Hammoudeh's college-age daughter.

Government prosecutors called more than 70 witnesses in the case, which is nearing the five-month mark.

[Last modified November 1, 2005, 19:45:03]