DETROIT — A federal jury found Palestinian American activist
Rasmea Odeh guilty of unlawful procurement of citizenship. After the verdict
was announced on Monday, U.S. District Judge Gershwin A. Drain revoked Odeh’s
bond, and she was detained immediately by federal marshals.

Odeh, 67, is accused of lying on her U.S. naturalization application
about being arrested and convicted in Israel about 45 years ago. In 1969, Odeh
was convicted of participating in a bombing in Israel. However, she says the
conviction was based on a forced confession obtained by torture. 

Her defense had planned to argue that Odeh suffers from Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder from the torture she allegedly endured in Israel,
which affected her understanding of the questions on the citizenship
application on whether she had ever been arrested or convicted. Odeh says she
thought the questions were referring to her record in the United States only.
However, Drain disallowed the testimony of a psychological expert or the
mention of torture in the trial. 

Odeh’s lead attorney Michael Deutsch said he intends to appeal
the conviction because the judge’s rulings against the mention of torture and
PTSD nullified 75 percent of the defense’s argument.

“This is not a full and fair trial,” said Hatem
Abudayyeh, of the Rasmea Defense Committee. “The judge decided to keep
evidence of torture and PTSD out, while allowing evidence from the Israeli
military courts, where Rasmea was forced into a confession by rape. How can we
in the U.S. allow this kind of evidence into our courtrooms?”

Abudayyeh added that the entire case is political, slamming the
federal prosecutors who handled Odeh’s case as anti-Arab racists.

He added that Jonathan Tukel, the lead prosecutor on the case,
is a right wing ideologue who made his career out of prosecuting Arabs and
Muslims. He compared Tukel to Terry Jones. 

Odeh’s supporters have been protesting in front of the
courthouse in Detroit throughout the trial and during pre-trial hearing.

More than 100 people, mostly from Chicago, where Odeh lives,
attended the verdict announcement Monday.  

After the verdict was announced, Odeh turned to the audience and
said, “Some day we will find fairness in some place in this world.”

The judge warned the emotionally charged audience in the
courtroom to remain silent after the announcement of the jury’s decision.

The requested silence prevailed until Drain himself praised the
jurors for the verdict.

The judge said he does not usually comment on verdicts, but
added that the jury’s decision was reasonable and fair.

Then, a woman in the courtroom raised her voice in objection.
Federal deputies escorted her out of the room promptly.

With wide smiles and silent giggles the prosecutors looked to be
reveling in the jury’s decision.

Abuddayyeh lost his composure and reacted angrily to their
attitude. 

“Wipe that smile off your face, you pig,” he
told Department of Homeland Security special agent Stephen Webber, who was
investigating Odeh and testified against her in the trial. 

Abuddayyeh was removed from the courtroom. He later described
his own action as undisciplined.

“It was an emotional reaction,” he told The Arab
American News about his outburst. “We are not intimidated by them. These
prosecutors have the power. They have the resources. But if they want to be
racist in the way they deal with us, we are going to challenge them.”

Deutsch criticized Drain’s comment on the verdict, describing it
as “very unusual and unfortunate.”

“It is a window into what the judge is thinking,” he
said.

After the verdict, the court was in recess for about two hours
before the judge decided on whether to keep Odeh’s bond until sentencing or
lock her up immediately.

Odeh addressed her supporters outside the courthouse urging them
to remain strong.

In a fiery speech, Abudayyeh reiterated his view that the
charges against Odeh are to deal a blow to Palestinian activism in the United
States. 

“This case is all about Palestine,” he said.

He added that the legal battle is not over. “We’re going to
appeal, and we’re going to win.”

Back in the courtroom, Tukel argued that Odeh is a flight risk
because she is a frequent traveler, and her citizenship was revoked
automatically with the conviction. He said Odeh could flee to the
“Palestinian authority,” where the U.S. does not have a extraditing
agreement. 

Deutsch said Odeh’s intention is to stay in the United States.
He highlighted the fact that she had rejected a plea bargain that would have
allowed her to leave the United States at will without serving any jail time as
an indicator of her intention to remain in Chicago. 

He added that her age and connection to the Chicago community
are guarantees that she will appear at her sentencing hearing.

However, the judge ruled that Odeh has “no real tie to the
community” in Chicago. He cited Odeh’s attempt to flee Israeli prison as a
reason to designate her as a flight risk. 

Drain said Odeh is “no longer clothed with the presumption
of innocence.” He revoked her bond, and federal marshals handcuffed her at
the end of the hearing.

The audiences in the courtroom and the overflow room, where the
hearing was streaming live, were not allowed to leave until a few minutes after
Odeh was escorted out.

As Odeh was leaving, a woman in the audience told her, “I
love you.”

“I love you, too. I am very strong,” Odeh replied.

Abudayyeh said the judge’s statement that Odeh has no ties to
the community in Chicago “does not make sense,” especially that Drain
has acknowledged Odeh’s supporters in the courtroom.

The judge told the defense attorneys that they can file a motion
to reconsider the bond issue. Deutsch said he will contest the decision but
added that he does not expect the judge to change his mind.

“I wouldn’t put much hope in this judge,” he said.

Odeh will be sentenced on March 10 at 11 a.m. She could face
jail time and deportation.  

Activist George Khoury slammed the lack of support from the
local Arab American community in Detroit to Odeh. 

“Rasmea represents Palestine. Why didn’t people here stand
with her?” he questioned. “This is something we must address in our
future meetings as organizers.”

Disgruntled and sad, many of Odeh’s supporters left the
courthouse in tears.