Hillsborough: Al-Arian's gaunt condition stuns his family

Sami Al-Arian has been on a hunger strike for 58 days to protest being held beyond his prison sentence. On a water-only diet, he has lost 53 pounds. The former University of South Florida professor can no longer walk, speaks in a whisper and trembles constantly because of low body temperature, said family members who visited him last weekend at a federal medical prison in Butner, N.C.

"We were stunned when we saw him. His deterioration is shocking," said Al-Arian's son, Abdullah, 26.

Al-Arian, 49, is bedridden in an isolation cell. A nurse checks on him twice a day, and a video camera records his every move, say officials from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Three hot meals are placed in his cell every day, for two hours at a time. Then they are removed, untouched.

"We will not let him die. We will force feed him before that happens," Nikki Credic, a spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service said.

Al-Arian went on the strike Jan. 22 to protest being held in jail beyond his sentence because he refused to testify before a Virginia grand jury.

Last May he pleaded guilty, as part of a plea agreement, to helping associates of a terrorist group with nonviolent activities. The plea agreement came after a jury acquitted Al-Arian of eight terrorism-related charges and deadlocked on nine lesser counts.

While no explicit language was written into the plea agreement about Al-Arian's exemption from testimony before a grand jury in Virginia, federal prosecutors in Tampa agreed with defense attorneys that Al-Arian would not have to testify in Virginia. That verbal agreement was recorded in court transcripts. Seven months later, he was transferred to a Virginia jail and ordered to testify.

Al-Arian, who is 6 feet tall, weighed 202 pounds when the hunger strike began, and is now 149 pounds.

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Comments on this article

by mark	03/24/07 06:19 PM
Why is his family stunned? They should tell him to eat; he's bringing it on himself. So don't pretend to be shocked! Typical: You kill your parents and then protest you're an orphan. You go on a hunger strike and then protest that you're gaunt, starv

by Haleh	03/24/07 12:52 PM
This is a violation of human rights and a failure of the justice system. There's clearly a bias against Palestinians in this country, while Israelis get full support of the US government even whent they kill innocent Palestinians.

by gadha	03/21/07 05:46 PM
here only one side is heard and it is pro-israel

by mohamad	03/21/07 02:47 PM
I am an american muslim who loves my country, when I see all those nice supporting comments I feel much better. Why do the media and powerful pliticians blame us for anything bad any muslim does in the world, we dont deserve any of this.

by rahmat	03/21/07 09:10 AM
Please send an already prepared letter of plea to different people to sign and send it to their congressman and also to human rights group.

by Jonathan	03/20/07 10:38 PM
It is such a disillusionment what injustice our American Administration has committed in the case relating to Sami Al-Arian! Is this America? Are we Americans? What moral authority do we have now to preach others how to conduct themselves??!!

by Julia	03/20/07 09:52 PM
To gain any publicity for suffered injustice, one has to practically die. Some of you are merciless and some of you are kind. I am sure the Iraqis and the Palestinians would also like certain people to go back to where they came from.

by Ashley	03/20/07 08:33 PM
Why is he in jail if he got acquitted? Our terrible government is accountable for making us look like a dictatorship. Impeach BUSH and lets bring back liberty and justice for all.

by deborah	03/20/07 08:10 PM
this man has not hurt many "innocent" people. his only crime is being palestinian in a nation that would like to see the palestinians disappear. he was not a "terrorist," and you people are a bunch of fascists.

by Steve	03/20/07 05:17 PM
He is terrorizing himself as a publicity stunt. Ship him off to Guantanamo with the other suspected terrorists. Over there he can't take advantage of our legal system and related media frenzy. He is not an American citizen. Put him with his people.

by George	03/20/07 04:52 PM
Al Arian committed 1 crime only--being on the wrong side of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Israel was born of terror. Begin, Shamir & Sharon all have far more blood on their hands than any Palestinian could ever hope to match.

by Andrew	03/20/07 04:14 PM
I say let him out but send him and his family back to where ever they came from for good.

by marc	03/20/07 02:57 PM
It's disgusting to read the comments referring to 9/11 as if Mr.Al-Arian had anything to do with that event. You all act like a bunch of little children afraid of the dark. The real terrorists are in the whitehouse. Rove, Cheney, Bush, Rice......

by john	03/20/07 01:54 PM
Wake up America. Lets stand together on this one. Get all the facts before making statements that are unfounded. This man has hurt many innocent poeple, Americans included. Hope none were your parents or children.

by just me, connie	03/20/07 01:52 PM
Al-arien is a very intellegent man. That goes without saying. He executed & covered his fund raising efforts with-out a glitch & pretty much got away with it. Now he is starving himself. We should worry WHY? Lets worry about victims¬ his jiberish

by Trevor	03/20/07 01:32 PM
let him kill himself, that would be 1 less terrorist in the world to worry about. he gave up his rights when he supplied financial backing to islamic terror groups. Meg, if you're so worried, go feed him yourself, no one cares about this criminal.

by NJ	03/20/07 12:56 PM
All of you saying "good riddance" surely have personal knowledge or evidence of his wrongdoing, right? I didn't think so. This is a serious violation of the US Constitution Due Process Right. But you guys have already OKed that by reelecting DUMBYA.

by Columbus	03/20/07 12:45 PM
Terrible. This could've been anyone of you, under the guise of national security, anything and everything goes! What a shame. This is no different than those countries we despise! Human rights violations in our country seems OK these days!

by Tony	03/20/07 12:24 PM
Eat, testify and be on your way. I have no compassion for this terrorist. When he comes ouot he can write a new diet book. The Car Bomb supporter gets jailed DIET. Lose 50 lbs and no one dies while I am locked up.

by Cory	03/20/07 12:16 PM
Hey LibbyRal, the investigation of Al-Arian started back in 1993. I do believe that was during the Clinton era. It is amazing Bush had the insight to investigate 7 years before he took office. More like impeach Clinton. Oh wait, he was impeached.

by Tommo	03/20/07 12:02 PM
We are wasting money. A bullet in the head would save thousands and thousands. On the other hand I love to see him suffer. I hope its sheer agony. Some of you terrorist coddlers should join in the hunger strike.

by Robbie	03/20/07 11:22 AM
The comments left here by many here are indicative of the hate and ignorance many people have toward anything Islam or Muslim. If he was guilty, do you think he would risk his life making such a strong statement.

by Eli	03/20/07 11:10 AM
You heartless adultrous generation. Is that the Jesus spirit ordered you to have. Go and kill yourself so that may god forgive you. How come you don't have any sympathy for a man who was accused for the mere fact that does not approve of the Israel?

by Marryam	03/20/07 09:46 AM
Al-Arian was NOT convicted of terrorism. The jury voted NOT GUILTY on ALL the criminal charges. And 10 out of 12 jurors voted NOT GUILTY on the other technical charges. He is jailed b/c he was spreading awareness about secret evidence and Palestine.

by Joe	03/20/07 09:27 AM
As long as he is in jail it's one less car bomb going off.

by GeorgeW	03/20/07 09:24 AM
Another example of the Abuse and "compassion" of our current system...this could be YOU next time...

by Frank	03/20/07 09:18 AM
There are some serious due process concerns here; a plea agreement should not function as a way for the government to be free from double jeopardy restrictions and 5th amendment limitations on self-incrimination. We should defend the Constitution.

by Rick	03/20/07 09:10 AM
And, we should care...WHY?

by Mike	03/20/07 09:05 AM
If he not not guilty, then why won't he testify????

by Tammie	03/20/07 09:03 AM
How quickly you short-sighted people forget. Do we need another 9/11 to help you remember???

by Ron	03/20/07 09:02 AM
Who Cares!!! He's doing this to himself. The prison is not starving him. He is a criminal and a terrorist and if it weren't for the inane rules associated with professors and their tenure, he'd have been gone a long time ago. Goodbye & good riddance.

by Eric	03/20/07 08:58 AM
I hope he starves to death. Good riddance. The more terrorist die, the happier we SHOULD ALL BE. Can't believe you people being compassionate for a TERRORIST. Let em all rot.

by private	03/20/07 08:11 AM
He's pleaded guilty and won't testify...hmm...sounds like he's guilty of SOMETHING. Something like....terrorism?!! HELLO PEOPLE?! Do we need another 9/11 for you to WAKE UP!!! This isn't the entire story. We don't know the half of what is going on.

by mikey	03/20/07 07:57 AM
Its embarrassing to compassionate Americans to see this kind of treatment being allowed under the shroud of National Security.

by Dave	03/20/07 06:57 AM
Mr. Al-Arian did not get what he wished for ... the total destruction of America.

Al-Arian's gaunt condition stuns his family

He has lost 53 pounds during his 58-day hunger strike in prison.