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ACLU: Guilty Pleas in Terror Case Pave Way for Appeals

Tuesday, May. 5 2009 @ 5:11PM

By Matt Coker in A Clockwork Orange, Main

Mission Viejo's Hossein Kalani Afshari and six other Iranian-Americans who pleaded guilty last week to raising funds for a U.S.-designated terrorist group made the plea so they can appeal their case before a higher court, claims the ACLU.

Besides 52-year-old Afshari, Roya Rahmani, 48, of Vienna, Va.; Alireza Mohammadmoradi, 38, of Los Angeles; Moustafa Ahmady, 54, of Los Angeles; Hassan Rezaie, 54, of Los Angeles; Navid Taj, 58, of Santa Monica; and Mohammad Omidvar, 54, of Corona entered guilty pleas before a jury was even selected for the case. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 10, and the charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

But the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California says in a statement the group made the guilty plea agreement to enable them to head straight for an appeals court "on the grounds that their prosecution violates the U.S. Constitution."

The seven had been indicted in 2001 by a federal grand jury in LA on charges of providing funds to the Iranian opposition group Mujahedin-e Khalq, or MEK. Their appeal will focus "on the fact that the MEK does not threaten U.S. national security, in large part because the U.S. government has itself provided material support to the same group, as court documents obtained in the case revealed," says the ACLU statement.

The accused apparently admitted in court to raising funds from supporters and others at public places like the LAX for the MEK, which the U.S. designated a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. Opponents of Iran's Islamic Republic, the MEK carried out operations against the clerical regime in Tehran from Iraq, under the protection of former president Saddam Hussein.

One defendant's attorney claims the money raised went for humanitarian purposes such as purchasing shoes.

The guilty pleas included an agreement that the government would drop more than 100 charges to which the seven pleaded not guilty, says the ACLU.

2 Comment(s) / Post a Comment

ahmadi says:

These individuals are victims of the Iranian regime. Its is rather a sad occasion when our government prosecutes those who oppose the world's number state sponsor of terrorism. The Iranian-American community is one hundred percent behind these individuals. Indeed, we are proud of them for standing up for what they believe. Support of the MEK is not a crime. The MEK is not a terrorist group but a legitimate resistance organization supported by the Iranian people. More than a dozen court in the UK and EU have examined all available evidence (classified and open) regarding the reported terrorism by the MEK and found them to be untrue. That is why both UK and EU have removed them from their terrorist list. Instead of prosecuting its supporters, the U.S. should take them off their politically motivated list so that the cause of democracy in Iran can gain additional momentum.

Posted on Wednesday, May. 6 2009 @ 7:41AM

Rob says:

As long as the ACLU is on that case, it should also attend to an incident back east where a 16 year old boy was arrested by the FBI under the Patriot Act. Unfortunately for the authorities, this kid is innocent and the FBI's inability to spot IP spoofing is disconcerting to say the least:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFVQ0HZz2mc&feature=player_embedded

And we thought American citizens had constitutional rights in America. Think again!

Posted on Wednesday, May. 6 2009 @ 10:50AM