A graduate student from Saudi Arabia — already jailed on immigration charges — has been accused of helping to raise funds for a militant Palestinian organization. Sami Omar Al-Hussayen was charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism after federal prosecutors said he helped run Web sites that urge people to contribute money to Hamas. But an attorney for Al-Hussayen, a computer science student at the University of Idaho, said his client is innocent.
"I think that what is going on here is that when you have an innocent man, it is extremely difficult to articulate charges against him," said David Nevin, who learned of the indictment from a reporter Thursday.
| "Pure as the driven snow..." |
Al-Hussayen, 34, has been in a jail near Boise since being arrested at his Moscow home in February 2003. He was charged then with student visa fraud and making false statements to obtain a visa. On Jan. 9, federal prosecutors won an indictment adding the new charge. Al-Hussayen is scheduled to stand trial April 13. If convicted on the new charge, he could get up to 15 years in prison. The seven visa fraud charges carry 25-year maximum sentences, and the four false-statements counts have five-year maximums. Al-Hussayen's wife and children have returned to Saudi Arabia after being ordered by immigration officials to leave.
| "Get the hell out and don't come back!" |
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